Costco customers don't like change, at least in certain parts of the retailers' warehouse clubs.

While ever-changing merchandise is actually a popular part of why some people shop at the retailer, there are some sacred cows that never change. Member (and company executives) have been fiercely protective of its $1.50 hot dog and soda combination sold at its food courts while the company literally bought a chicken farm to be able to continue selling its famed $4.99 rotisserie chicken.

Related: Discount retailer faces Chapter 11 bankruptcy or liquidation

Those items are more or less gimmicks. No person, even a Costco loyalist, would flip out if the chain raised the price of the hot dog combo to $2 or if it started charging $5.99 for chicken. Both would remain good deals and while there would be a flood of news stories, the vast majority of members would pay the increased prices without flinching. 

Costco (COST) , however, has made those two price points points of pride that it will lose money to protect, Both of those deals likely drive stories traffic and the chain probably still makes money on the hot dog combo while the chicken serves as a loss leader.

In a broad sense, the hot dog combo serves as a sort of symbolic reminder of how protective the company is of its food court. Items rarely change and when the warehouse club does take something off the menu (or adds something new) it reverberates with members.

Costco brings a food court fan-favorite back

Costco very rarely changes its food court offerings, but it does happen. It recently dropped its churros and replaced them with chocolate chip cookies. It also has replaced its roast beef sandwich with a cheaper turkey sandwich.

During the pandemic, however, the warehouse club stopped selling a true fan favorite its combo pizza. Essentially an "everything" pizza, the once-popular pie had a variety of meat and vegetable toppings.

The removal of the Combo Pizza even led to a Change.org petition.

"Costco’s Combination Pizza is the most popular pizza variant and overall item at the Costco Food Court. It is a delectable combination of meaty goodness and vegetable crunchiness. Unlike a straight pepperoni or cheese pizza, the combo pizza ignites a party of tremendous flavor in the mouths of millions of Costco membership holders," the petition reads.

Over 18,000 people have signed the document which has a stated goal of 25,000 signatures, The petitioners seem very impassioned about the popular pizza.

"Countless Costco members and membership families have sworn to not renew their membership with Costco due to this travesty. Costco must realize that without its members, there would be no profits for them to be concerned about in the first place," the writeup continued.

Costco appears to have listened

While its a tiny fraction of Costco's membership, the people signing the petition likely represent a larger number of the chain's members who miss the Combo Pizza. The retailer appears to have heard their complaints and is bringing the popular item back, but maybe not in the way members want it. 

"According to an alleged employee who took to the popular Costco subreddit, the combo pizza is slated to make its glorious return—but it won't be in the food court. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) the pizza will actually be frozen this time around and sold as a take-and-bake option instead," Parade shared.

Members won't be able to eat the pizza at the Costco food court, but they will be able to take it home and bake it in their own ovens. That's a compromise that keeps the food court menu simple and cuts down on waste.

It may not, however, appease the very passionate petitioners.

"The termination of combo pizza from Costco Food Courts nationwide is not only saddening, but total madness, and just straight up WRONG. Costco corporate cites profit and cost concerns, but they could’ve dealt with the issue easily via a price increase. Fans of the combo pizza would have gladly paid the price to continue to enjoy it," the petition filers shared on Change.org.

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The covid pandemic decimated the supply chain. People needed goods — perhaps more than they ever had — but factories and warehouses struggled to keep up due to workers being sick and social distancing rules.

Truck drivers still did their jobs but, in many cases, the support systems they relied on were not operational. Rest stops and restaurants were closed and even finding an operating bathroom was a challenge.

Related: Discount retailer faces Chapter 11 bankruptcy or liquidation

It was a period that created some opportunity as the demands of the entire nation shifted, but it also increased costs. Trucks were waiting to be loaded, drivers were unable to hit the toad because they, or someone close to them, got sick, and the entire industry was under stress.

A number of regional carriers have since been driven into bankruptcy and, now, a major carrier has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy with parts of its filing falling under Chapter 15 of the bankruptcy code. That's a lesser-used type of bankruptcy designed to protect foreign companies operating in the United States.

"This chapter of the bankruptcy code allows for the recognition in the U.S. of foreign bankruptcy proceedings and access to domestic judicial proceedings by foreign representatives," the IRS shared on its website.

Family-owned trucking company struggles

Pride Group, a family-owned trucking company, has its headquarters in Canada, but operates in the U.S. as well.

"We are a privately held, diversified group whose subsidiaries and affiliates operate in a variety of industries including transportation, logistics, heavy-duty equipment dealerships, equipment leasing & rentals, real-estate holdings, and full-service fleet management. PGE operates and manages businesses in both Canada and the United States, employing over 500 people," the company shared on its website.

The company has struggled in recent months and has taken steps to restructure its business. This has included a bankruptcy filing, which the company explained on its website.

"Pride Group Holdings Inc. and other applicant companies (the “Applicants”) sought and obtained protection under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (the “CCAA”) pursuant to an Initial Order of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List) (the “Initial Order”). Other companies affiliated with the Applicants (the “Additional Stay Parties”, and together with Applicants, the “Pride Group”), although not applicants themselves, were granted a stay of proceedings as part of these proceedings under the CCAA (the “CCAA Proceedings”) for the duration of 10-days, subject to extension thereafter as the Court deems appropriate."

That's the Canadian version of bankruptcy, but there has also been a U.S. filing.

"Certain companies in the Pride Group will file cases under Chapter 15 of Title 11 of the United States Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (the “Chapter 15 Cases”) seeking recognition of the CCAA Proceedings within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States and other related relief," the company shared.

Pride Group continues to operate

Pride Group has a complicated array of holdings that includes 16 transport companies, 45 real estate holding companies, and 10 other holding companies founded and controlled by Sulakhan “Sam” Johal, Truck News reported.

The company has roughly $2 billion in debt and the company blames the current freight market for its troubles.

“Spot freight prices, diesel prices, and interest rate trends were all initially favorable for the trucking industry following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. They have all deteriorated significantly since that time. The bottom-line result is made significantly worse by virtue of the increased trucking and logistics supply that was brought to market during the upturn, which is currently sitting as unused excess capacity in the market," according to a court filing.

The company, which controls 20,000 trucks,  was profitable until the pandemic, according to Johal.

 Pride Group filed for bankruptcy protection after it defaulted on debt owed to Mitsubishi HC Capital which had been personally guaranteed by Johal. More than 20 other lenders have filed claims against the company which does plan to continue operating. 

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