By the time the new Costco Warehouse in north Visalia opened its doors on May 21, the lines on both sides of the entrance stretched to the corners of the 160,000-square-foot building at the northeast corner of Riggin Avenue and Shirk Street.
Visalia was ready for its second Costco Warehouse.
A mariachi band kept the crowd entertained until the brief ribbon-cutting ceremony was underway. The day was about celebrating as much as it was about shopping.
“This is a great morning to be here in Visalia,” said Mayor Brett Taylor, who thanked those most responsible for bringing the second Costco to the city.
“Just about every city department had a major role in making this project happen, from public works, to safety, engineering, planning, and so we just want to say thank you to all those folks,” he said. “Most importantly, we want to say thank you to the folks at Costco. They provided an amazing project for our community.
Taylor said the new warehouse is a win-win for the community.
“I just want to say we are excited to have you guys here. May the $1.50 hot dog live forever,” he added.
Costco General Manager Juan Bautista said the ribbon cutting meant more than just the opening of a store.
“It’s about becoming part of the community,” Bautista said. “We’re proud to bring our own great value to quality products. We’re also proud to bring jobs and partnerships.”
The north Visalia Costco Warehouse features a car wash and a 32-pump gas station. It also offers products that other Visalia locations in the area do not, such as hot tubs, home arcade-style games, and golfing equipment, according to store staff who also noted that the food court is the first in the area to offer a strawberry shortcake sundae.
The National Retail Federation ranks Costco third on its Top 100 Retailers List for 2025, behind only Walmart and Amazon.
“It’s a strong show of our economic force here in the community to be able to have two Costcos,” Taylor said. “I’ve been told we’re one of the smallest cities to have two Costcos, and so it just shows you how great of a community Visalia really is for businesses.”
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Second Costco Warehouse opens in Visalia
Reporting by Steve Pastis, Visalia Times-Delta / Visalia Times-Delta
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
