Irene Jiang / Business Insider
The Costco food court is a beloved feature of the warehouse store.
- Almost 2,000 people are petitioning Costco to add a vegan hot dog to its food court menu.
- Costco's food court is known for its inexpensive pizza, hot dogs, and ice cream.
- Scott Hildebrand started the Change.org petition, which has garnered almost 2,000 signatures and is meant for Costco CEO Craig Jelinek.
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Veganism is on the rise, and some people want Costco to jump on the bandwagon.
Almost 2,000 people have signed a petition for the warehouse retailer to introduce a vegan hot dog to its food court menu. The Change.org petition was started by Scott Hildebrand, who says he has been vegan for eight years and eaten a meat-free diet for over a decade.
Read more: Almost 800 people signed a petition to stop Costco from coming to their neighborhood
"We need to work with companies to make plant-based options more accessible," Hildebrand, who lives near Costco's headquarters in Washington, said in a statement. "Our family, like countless others, are regulars at Costco. I'd love to see them extend plant-based options to the food court, so we can enjoy veggie hot dogs after a Sunday shopping trip."
Costco announced that some stores will start selling a plant-based burger in the next few weeks. The company sparked backlash in July 2018 when it cut its Polish hot dog from its menu in favor of vegan and healthier options like açai bowls and organic burgers.
Don Lee Farms
The Better Than Beef Burger will be sold in some Costco stores soon.
"Sorry, but when I feel like a hot dog or pizza, a salad is the last thing on my mind," the petition reads.
The petition also notes the growing availability of vegan and plant-based options nationwide, including Burger King's Impossible Burger, KFC's Beyond Meat fried "chicken," and Ikea's rollout of a vegan hot dog.
The petition is directed toward Costco CEO Craig Jelinek.
A Costco representative did not return a request for comment.