Customers think Costco’s first standalone gas station in SoCal is ‘really strange’ — here’s why

Costco’s first standalone gas station in the US has opened up in Southern California, and while many drivers are eager to buy cheaper fuel, some shoppers feel the new location is missing the key features they’d hoped for.

Despite excitement about the gas station opening, many social media users pointed out it doesn’t offer diesel fuel, propane refills or a car wash.

The members-only station in Mission Viejo marks a major shift for Costco, which has traditionally operated gas stations alongside its warehouse stores.

“This is really strange,” a Reddit user wrote. “I expect all those things and electric car chargers and a food court if you’re not even going to have a Costco [warehouse] to shop at.”

“No diesel is really disappointing,” another added.

The fuel-only location replaced a shuttered Bed Bath & Beyond at 25732 El Paseo and is open exclusively to Costco members — meaning drivers without a membership card are turned away.

Others welcomed the new location, saying it could help ease the congestion at nearby Costco warehouses, where packed parking lots and long lines often make a quick fuel stop difficult.

“The one down the road is a nightmare with space and crowds,” someone wrote.

“If this is just a dedicated gas station, it might help alleviate it. I go sometimes to just get gas and this will make it easier for me and my hubby to visit.”

The Mission Viejo station is drawing customers with lower prices, selling gasoline for $4.79 per gallon.

According to AAA, the average price of regular gas is $5.35 per gallon in Orange County and $5.48 per gallon in Los Angeles County.

The opening comes just days before California’s statewide gas tax rises on July 1. The tax will increase by 2.2 cents per gallon, from 61.2 cents to 63.4 cents.

Costco is also building another standalone gas station in Hawaii in Honolulu’s Kapālama Kai neighborhood at Dillingham Boulevard and Colburn Street.

Although details surrounding the project remain under wraps, the location is expected to open sometime in 2027.

Costco operates an estimated 920 warehouse locations across the US, in addition to its standalone Mission Viejo gas station. The company’s gas business accounted for about 10% of total revenue in 2025 through 747 fuel stations worldwide.

The retailer also expanded gas station hours nationwide in June 2025. Stations now operate from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, while Saturday hours run from 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Sunday hours from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Neil Saunders of GlobalData previously told the Daily Mail the standalone concept could succeed because of Costco’s “wildly popular” cheap gas prices.

“Costco is building a new stand-alone location in Orange County to help manage demand that can’t be serviced at the station by its store,” Saunders said. “If successful, there are other locations where this could be implemented.”

It’s unclear when, or if, Costco will expand the fuel-only concept beyond those two locations.

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