Costco’s 5-Star $275 Deli Feast Looks Like a Budget Dream for Your Next Party

A nonprofit worker’s Costco catering order is going viral for proving just how far a deli tray can stretch.

The shopper, who posted the breakdown on Reddit, needed to feed 50 people at a work training event and turned to Costco’s deli section instead of a traditional caterer. The order included one deli meat and cheese platter, one chicken salad croissant tray, two deli sandwich platters split between turkey and beef, a 60-count box of cookies, chips, water bottles, and sparkling water. The total came out to $275.

Before placing the order, the shopper had asked ChatGPT to estimate a reasonable catering budget for the group and was told to expect somewhere between $750 and $1,250. The Costco order came in at a fraction of that, and commenters were quick to point out that the AI estimate was wildly off base for anyone shopping at a warehouse store instead of a traditional caterer.

The chicken salad croissants were the standout of the order. “They were stuffed with meat! Way bigger than the stock photo,” the shopper wrote, adding that the sandwiches were cut in half and still disappeared quickly. Other commenters chimed in with their own praise for Costco’s catering options, with several calling it a smart, reliable choice for group events on a budget.

According to shoppers in the comments, most Costco delis offer four standing platter options: an artisan bread sandwich platter, chicken salad croissants, a fruit, meat and cheese platter, and a shrimp platter. Online orders typically require 48 hours notice and can’t be changed once placed, while in-person orders need just 24 hours and allow for some flexibility depending on the location.

The post has racked up thousands of upvotes, with many commenters sharing their own experiences using Costco’s deli trays for everything from office meetings to funeral receptions and baby showers, reinforcing just how far the warehouse chain’s catering options can stretch a budget.