10 hours ago
Why Costco's Kirkland Signature Bacon, Egg, And Cheese Sandwiches Almost Didn't Happen
Costco's Kirkland Signature brand has hundreds of items that people regularly rely on, from clothing to cleaning products to frozen foods. The brand itself (which is the only private brand at Costco) brought in over $85 billion in sales last year for Costco, per The Wall Street Journal, which means we're not the only ones who love the Kirkland Signature organic pure maple syrup or the Kirkland Signature organic coconut water. Meanwhile, one of Kirkland's most iconic items -- the bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich -- almost didn't happen, and you can blame Costco's CEO.
Perhaps we should say "thank" the CEO, since he did eventually approve the breakfast item, but not before putting up a fight. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Costco CEO Ron Vachris revealed that when his team approached him about the Kirkland Signature Breakfast Sandwich, he told them no. He appreciated the idea but wanted to ensure that the Kirkland Signature item would "exceed" the national brand for breakfast sandwiches already performing so well in the market. Vachris recognized that the highest value item in the sandwich was the protein (the bacon), so he asked the buyer to partner with the supplier to improve the quality. The buyer ended up adding 40% more protein (more bacon) to the breakfast sandwich while still maintaining the item's original price point. Vachris was happy with the changes and officially approved the item for the market.
Read more: 7 Costco Kirkland Brand Frozen Meals, Ranked Worst To Best
Customers have made it clear just how much they enjoy the Kirkland Signature bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwiches, touting on Reddit how they are "really good and priced very well." There's apparently even a correct way to cook Costco's Kirkland Signature Breakfast Sandwiches. People also say that the spiral butter croissant stuffed with applewood smoked bacon, cage-free eggs, and gooey cheese is comparable to the Starbucks breakfast sandwich, with one customer on Reddit calling it a perfect "dupe." The sandwiches come in a pack of eight for about $15.99, making them cheaper per sandwich than the coffee giant's similar breakfast favorite, its Double-Smoked Bacon, Cheddar & Egg Sandwich, which goes for $5.75.
In the grand scheme of Kirkland Signature production, CEO Ron Vachris is the final voice when it comes to approving or denying new items. Everything that the Kirkland Signature team comes up with hits his desk before it goes into production, and by now, we know that he's not afraid to stamp items with a big red "nope" if he doesn't think it meets Costco-level quality. That picky mentality has led to billions of dollars of success for the Kirkland Signature brand, making it a name that customers trust for high-quality products at a lower price point than rival big-name brands.
Read the original article on Tasting Table.
