You’re Invited: A $1.50 Costco Lunch

I recently saw a post on Facebook that posed the following query “If you could take any three people to lunch at Costco for their $1.50 hot dog and a drink deal, who would you take? Costco began this deal in 1985 and has held to that price for over 40 years with no plans to change the price. That in itself makes the meal legendary, almost like it’s a part of Americana. Admittedly, they changed the hot dog from Hebrew National to the in-house Kirkland Signature dogs, but the dogs remain “all beef hot dogs.” According to the company, they sell over 130 million of the combos annually which surpasses the number of hot dogs sold annually by Major League Baseball.

As a former businessman and accounting professor I realize that Costco does this as a loss leader. People come in for a cheap lunch and leave having spent 100’s of dollars in the rest of the store. Good strategy. 

Back to the Facebook post. I found it interesting to read through the comments that people made. You take three people of your choosing to lunch at Costco for a total of $6. Who do you take? Some people responded “EWWWW! Hot dogs? No way!” Others would take celebrities, deceased friends or relatives, three random homeless people, Jesus and the Holy Trinity, among other choices. But what I observed was that the responses tended to tell me something about the person giving the answer. I don’t want to overthink this, but one could make some assumptions about the spirituality of these responses.

One respondent said that he would invite three dead people, so he would have four hot dogs all to himself. Obviously, someone who tends to be self-centered, or at least someone who doesn’t take himself very seriously. 

Many responses indicated a desire for a family reunion of sorts by inviting relatives, living or dead. Strong traditional family ties would be indicated here, maybe along with some regrets that could be made right.

Many people listed various celebrities as their luncheon guests. There may be a couple of things at play here. First, these people who are star-struck and want some time with their favorite celebrities. Or they want an opportunity to get to know these stars as real people.  One person even included a combination of individuals who did not see eye-to-eye so he could sit back and watch the “spirited” discussion. Choices such as Donald Trump, Barack Obama, and Hilary Clinton. Beware of thrown hot dogs! 

A number of people included famous people from the past on their lists. My guess is a desire to learn more about these people and a chance to learn from them. And maybe get their take on how society has changed over the years.

There were plenty of people who wanted to invite Jesus, God, and/or the Holy Spirit. This struck me as interesting as we always have the opportunity to speak to them through prayer. But maybe a little face-to-face time would gain some new insights . One person included Jesus in hopes He would turn the Pepsi into wine. Some have poor math skills or they were rule-breakers as their list was longer than three invitees. 

Several altruistic individuals would invite three homeless people. While this is obviously a worthy venture, this is something you could do anyway. Why not try it?

Please do not take offense at what I have written here. It was done in good fun and to help us think about why people would respond as they did. For me, I’m not sure who I would invite. I would like the opportunity to speak and talk with some of the many people who have meant so much to me over the years. Maybe some of my teachers who steered me in the right direction. Or business colleagues who were good mentors. There have been many spiritual mentors that I could include.  Growing up, I must admit that I was a Yankee fan. What a delight it would be to talk with Mickey Mantle, Bobby Richardson, and Whitey Ford. It would also be nice to dine with my deceased parents and the only grandparent I ever knew. Maybe ancestors I never met. Or my late wife of 48 years. It would be fun to catch up with high school or college friends. In the end, I think I would invite people who are here today, people I know and love so I could show them some love and appreciation. My wife, Heather, comes to mind but she probably wouldn’t eat a hot dog. My two grown children and one of their spouses (of course, that gets me in the “dog” house for leaving out one spouse). Maybe my three grandchildren, at least that’s an easy number with no one left out. Perhaps some members of my step-family but there are far more than three of them.

You know what? At $1.50 a person, there is no real limit to who I could take. It’s been an interesting exercise to think about this and think of people in my life, past and present, who have meant so much to me. So, everybody, let’s all get together for a John Stancil Friends and Family reunion at the local Costco. I’m buying ($1.50 limit per person). 

Think about the effect you might have by buying lunch for a youth sports team. Or maybe a group of seniors needing an outing. What about inviting local law enforcement officers, first responders, or city/county employees who provide services for you. Maybe a single parent with some young children. As Christians, we can be a (small) beacon of light in someone’s day. What’s your answer?

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