People choose to shop at Costco or the restaurant depot to save costs. Nevertheless, there are a few differences between these two stores that you need to know before making your choice. This article discusses some fundamental differences in terms of product range, quality and prices they offer. Read below if you are the next one searching for a particular product and confused about which one to visit to buy amongst Restaurant Depot vs. Costco.
Contents
Restaurant Depot vs. Costco
Restaurant Depot is a wholesale food distribution company in various United States locations, selling to chefs and restaurant owners. It supplies restaurants with their equipment and food supplies. Restaurants can purchase anything from grills to meat to plates in bulk.
At Costco, you buy bulk products (mostly food) in a warehouse or retail store layout with limited product selection.
This section will compare two different warehouse stores: Restaurants Depot and Costco.
Food Quality
Costco foods are much higher quality than those of the restaurant depot. You’re also more likely to find organic and healthier foods in a Costco store.
Variety
Costco has a much wider range of products than the restaurant depot does. Additionally, their items are grouped more logically, making it easier to find what you’re looking for when shopping on their shelves.
Many benefits come with a warehouse store like Costco. They have a wide variety of products, and the prices for these products tend to be lower than other stores considering the quality they offer. Warehouse stores offer items at discounted prices, which can help your budget.
Price
The food prices at both stores will differ depending on where you live and the time of year. Nevertheless, from our research, we have found that Costco is a bit more expensive than the restaurant depot because of the quality they provide.
Product Selection
Costco is closed on Sundays. It has shelves where you can pick up a few items.
Restaurant Depot has all their produce, frozen foods, party supplies, and other products displayed on shelves where you select two items per shelf to fill your cart.
Payment Method
You can use any credit card at Costco, while restaurant depot only accepts cash.
Product Options
Restaurants Depot tries to sell the idea of convenience and better buying options. Costco is a membership fee-based wholesaler that stocks everything from grocery items to clothes and TVs.
Costco offers its customers a whole experience that includes back-to-school supplies, movie rentals, furniture, food (including online orders), a pharmacy, gas stations, tire centers, and so much more.
Customer Service
It is also worth mentioning Costco’s well-known customer service that sets it apart from many other retailers in different industries, including restaurants depot.
However, customers are often not thrilled with the store’s layout and customer service.
Membership
Costco is an American membership-only warehouse club, and restaurant depot is a full-service restaurant supply store.
A membership fee comes with entering Costco, but the discount you get from their memberships more than makes up for it. Costco is a membership-only warehouse club that sells memberships for a one-time fee of $60 per year or $120 for two years. You also enjoy their services without worrying about cashiering or standing in line at the checkout. They also offer a convenient way to shop by the card facility they provide.
Is Costco Cheaper Than Restaurant Depot?
There are many comparisons for the best grocery store. In this section of the article, we will compare Costco and restaurant depot prices in the context of the products found in these stores.
Costco has over a hundred departments, from clothing to opticals to a vast food selection. It also has vitamins, jewelry, TVs, movies, and home appliances like washers and dryers. Some say Costco’s large selection should be cheaper than restaurant depot, but it’s not always true.
The restaurant depot maintains a low overhead by stocking its warehouses with only the basics needed to outfit restaurants, such as plates, cups, and cutlery- rather than stocking its shelves with more expensive items like clothes or electronics.
Costco is not cheaper than restaurant depot because they both offer different products for different purposes. Costco provides wholesale goods to retail customers, while restaurant depot offers products for food service establishments.
Costco has many different items to buy, including groceries and non-grocery items. At the same time, restaurant depot is only a restaurant supplier. There are many differences in prices between these two stores, but the main difference is in the quantity and quality of food. Costco has a much wider variety of food than restaurant depot and is also of high quality, which is why its products are a bit pricier. But that can go primarily because of the quality they provide. Restaurant depot for those who need to buy “in bulk” or purchase a lot of variety at once is an appropriate option. Products bought in bulk automatically cost you a bit low.
How Much Is Brisket at Costco?
Costco doesn’t carry large quantities for customers. You can buy smaller amounts of food in general. You can choose your whole packer beef to buy and butcher yourself at Restaurant Depot or tailor the chicken. You need to order 40lb cases. There is only one package of boneless butts, and all the BBQ packages are more expensive at Costco.
Because Costco is a wholesale club, you are limited to the products they carry. Sometimes they may sell an item today, but in 6-months, it may be a different product. Although their meats are generally high-quality, they tend to be more expensive. They also don’t have a lower-level option.
Additionally, Restaurant Depot has many more choices in just about everything you could potentially need for your restaurant, whether it be serving equipment, fresh and frozen food items, or canned goods. Standard meats aren’t all offered in Prime grade but are still good enough for most restaurants and diners. However, most high-scale restaurants buy meat from a good purveyor in the fresh/aged meat industry.
However, Costco’s current price of choice flat cut brisket is around $13.99/lb, and the cost of the whole prime brisket is about $5.5/ lb. But the prices fluctuate according to the general price changes and change in the price of beef.
How Many Locations Does Restaurant Depot Have?
As of April 23, 2021, there were139 total locations of Restaurant Depot in the United States. The state with the most places was Los Angeles, California, with 3, which was 2% of all locations in the United States.
There are 146 locations for Restaurant Depot in the United States as of July 01, 2022. The state with the most locations in California has 22 locations and counts for 15% of all restaurants in Depot.
Conclusion
Restaurant Depot and Costco are competing food wholesalers, but which is better? The answer depends on what your requirements are. Restaurant Depot may be a better choice if you’re a restaurant owner. Because of their lower prices. Costco may be better if you’re a consumer because it’s the more prominent name. Costco is a wholesale grocery store chain. The Restaurant Depot is a commercial restaurant supply company in the United States.
The main difference between these two stores is the type of products they carry and their price points. Costco has high-quality items at a lower cost, whereas restaurant depots offer lower-quality items at much lower prices than Costco.
