After attending both establishments, 4 newspaper staffers take their opinions on the winning store in 7 categories: convenience, quality, variety, presentation, price, service, and atmosphere. Getting different meals at both, the overall winner was IKEA.
Category: Convenience
IKEA and Costco are both convenient in their own right, but IKEA wins in this regard. Every part of the kitchen-to-plate experience is designed with Swedish expertise, from the multidirectional tray trolleys to the self-serve salad shelves. IKEA’s customer queue corral keeps the line orderly and maintains efficiency. Costco’s line, on the other hand, can get chaotic at times since there’s no queue management system. Also, a membership card is needed to enter Costco while IKEA is open to the public. Overall, IKEA is much more accessible and organized than Costco.
Category: Variety
IKEA, with its expanded menu options, is the clear winner for menu variety. They offer 13 breakfast, 15 lunch, 9 dinner, and 13 dessert items. They also have 8 specific kid’s meals as well as multiple different items you can buy after checking out. Costco, on the other hand, has only 15 items, which aren’t all offered at every store. IKEA also offers a wall of candy that you can pick and choose from if you are looking for some take-home sweets. Overall, IKEA wins due to its higher variety of meal types and greater meal selection.
Category: Price
When comparing the price of these establishments, it’s clear that Costco takes the cake, and eats it too. I ordered two items and spent 3 dollars at Costco, while at IKEA, I bought one thing that cost 6 dollars. Though the food was likely flash-frozen or dispensed of an ice cream machine, the price of Costco’s snacks are significantly cheaper. If the price is a concern, Costco is the best option.
Category: Atmosphere
This comparison really isn’t fair, and a unanimous decision clearly affirms this. IKEA was clean, civil, and there was no rushed or crowded feeling despite the relatively large amount of people in attendance. Costco was in direct contrast, possessing a general air of busyness and a sense that speed was necessary. Costco was more crowded and less spacious, as well as the fact that their overall facilities and especially eating areas were not nearly as clean as IKEA. IKEA wins outright in the atmosphere category.
Category: Service
IKEA is the winner of the service category. They have a cafeteria-style-restaurant that is constantly being refilled by dedicated meal-staff. Their menu is easier to read and better spread out for accessibility. The staff seems to be happy and positive and were very quick. Ethan Rogers ordered from the checkout cafe and got his ice cream within moments. Costco is much more industrial and functional and feels much less hygienic. Their food takes much longer for them to prepare and there wasn’t a sense of urgency with the meal-workers there to serve the customers. The IKEA speed and efficiency makes them the clear winner for their service.
Category: Presentation
As far as the presentation goes, IKEA wins by a landslide. Costco’s food court is often dirty and, frankly, kind of ugly. The tables are rarely clean, and the self-service station is full of straw wrappers and ketchup spills. IKEA’s food court, on the other hand, is almost always spotless. The tables and floors are frequently cleaned and the decor is impeccable. The food is also incredibly lovely to look at. Costco’s food comes on a paper plate or wrapped in foil. The beverages are served in branded paper cups, and there is absolutely no aesthetic quality to their dishes. IKEA, on the other hand, serves perhaps the most beautiful meal available for under $50. Their plates are arranged quite elegantly and their drinks are served in real glasses and coffee mugs. I was most impressed by the cheesecake. IKEA is far beyond Costco as far as presentation goes, leaving almost nothing to be desired.
Category: Quality
IKEA also is the winner for food quality in comparison to Costco. From real ceramic plates to freshly cooked meals, IKEA was far superior. In contrast, Costco has paper plates if plates at all, and low-quality cheap food. Though IKEA might not have the occasional fork, the food and restaurant content was far better than Costco.
