By Jennifer Nash

Home values fell for a second straight month in June, according to the Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI). Additionally, after adjusting for inflation, real home values dropped even more sharply, hitting their

Catherine, Princess of Wales, made a rare unofficial public appearance last week at the Royal Charity Polo Cup, marking her return to the sidelines of Prince William’s charity match after a three-year absence, and drawing attention for wearing the same designer dress another prominent British figure had worn just two days earlier.

Kate attended the event Friday at the Guards Polo Club in Egham, near Windsor, to watch William compete in the charity match, an activity he has taken part in for years, historically alongside his brother, Prince Harry. The 2026 edition of the tournament was set to raise funds for several causes chosen by the Prince and Princess of Wales, including the Wales Air Ambulance, the Royal College of Paramedics, and the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.

For the occasion, Kate wore a black-and-white gingham dress by Temperley London, known as the “Stirling” style. Crafted from a gingham jacquard fabric, the sleeveless dress featured a square neckline with wide straps, a fitted, cinched bodice and a full, flowing midi-length skirt, a silhouette well suited to the summer heatwave gripping the U.K. at the time. According to royal fashion trackers, the piece appears to date back to one of Temperley London’s past-season collections from around 2019 or 2020, suggesting Kate had owned the dress for several years before debuting it publicly at the polo match.

The appearance marked a notable style coincidence. Sophie Hunter, the actress and wife of actor Benedict Cumberbatch, had worn the identical Temperley London dress two days earlier while attending day nine of the Wimbledon Championships. Hunter, 48, styled the dress with a matching fabric belt cinched at the waist, along with metallic-trimmed sunglasses and white stiletto heels for her appearance in the Royal Box. Kate, by contrast, opted to forgo a belt and instead paired the dress with tan Camilla Elphick “Lucia” slingback pumps, featuring a contrasting patent pointed toe and the brand’s signature pearl buckle detail, along with gold and brown-toned jewelry. The tan slingbacks were themselves a repeat item in Kate’s wardrobe, having previously appeared at the same polo fixture in 2023 and again at the Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Final in 2024.

Kate’s appearance at the polo match carried its own sentimental resonance beyond the shared dress. It marked her first appearance at the event since 2023, when she was photographed giving William a kiss to congratulate him after his team’s win. The Princess of Wales, who has previously spoken about having an allergy to horses, has typically attended the charity match as a spectator from the sidelines rather than participating directly.

Royal commentators also drew a connection between Kate’s gingham choice and the pattern’s long-running association with the royal family. Princess Diana famously helped popularize gingham as a countryside-inspired staple during the 1980s, including a memorable appearance in pink gingham trousers at the same Guards Polo Club decades earlier. The print’s broader fashion pedigree stretches back further still, with Brigitte Bardot credited with popularizing gingham through her wedding dress, while Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn helped cement the pattern’s appeal in the 1960s through gingham capri pants paired with ballet flats. Royal watchers noted that Kate’s choice of the print, four decades after Diana’s own gingham moment at the same venue, offered a subtle nod to her late mother-in-law’s fashion legacy.

The dress’s designer also became a subject of attention in the days surrounding Kate’s appearance. Two days before the polo match, Alice Temperley announced she was stepping away from Temperley London, the label she founded in 2000 after studying at the Royal College of Art and Central Saint Martins. Temperley shared the news on Instagram, writing plainly about the decision to leave the brand she built. “I HAVE LEFT TEMPERLEY LONDON. Today, it has been announced. I have left. I am enormously proud of everything I have built there,” she wrote. She went on to describe the label as having been the creative home of her life for more than two decades, explaining that she felt the time was right to pursue a new direction that would allow her to follow long-held passions alongside people she loves, while promising to share more details about her next venture in the future.

Temperley’s departure adds a layer of significance to Kate’s choice to wear the brand so soon after the announcement, with some royal style observers speculating whether the timing reflected a quiet gesture of support for the designer, though no such connection has been confirmed by Kensington Palace. Temperley herself holds a personal connection to the royal family, having been awarded an MBE, or Member of the Order of the British Empire, in 2011 by the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Kate’s polo outfit also fit into a broader pattern in her recent wardrobe choices, which royal watchers noted had leaned heavily on black-and-white ensembles in the days surrounding the event. Earlier the same week, during a visit to Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Kate had worn a black-and-white silk shirtdress by Suzannah London, continuing what stylists described as a monochrome theme running through her public appearances that week.

The Princess of Wales has a long history of dressing for the Royal Charity Polo Cup in relaxed, seasonally appropriate pieces from British designers, having previously worn outfits from labels including Beulah London, Emilia Wickstead and Camilla Elphick for past appearances at the event. Because the polo match is not considered an official royal engagement, Kate has more flexibility in her styling choices than she typically has at formal public events, often opting for softer, more personal pieces reflective of her everyday wardrobe rather than the more tailored looks associated with official royal duties.

With the gingham dress now unlikely to be available for purchase given its status as a past-season Temperley piece, royal fashion followers have suggested it may only be found secondhand through designer resale platforms, adding to the appeal of a look that has already drawn comparisons between two prominent figures in British public life who happened to choose the same striking summer dress within days of one another.

Devin Consulting has worked on high profile installations such as the aquatics centres for the London 2012 Olympic Games and the Birmingham 2022 Commonweath Games

A Tyneside engineering consultancy that specialises in swimming pools, spas and waterparks says it is hoping to make waves in its market with a new AI tool.

Devin Consulting, which is based in North Shields, has advised on high-profile installations including the aquatics centres for both the London 2012 Olympic Games and the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. As part of a five-year growth plan, the firm has worked with the technology arm of RMT Accountants & Business Advisors, to identify ways in which artificial intelligence could help it.

The result is an RMT Technology-developed AI tool which pulls out key information within project tenders to allow for the Devin Consulting team to take on more opportunities more quickly and efficiently. Bosses say the move will benefit the business, which was founded 25 years ago and has so far completed more than 600 swimming pool, spa and waterpark projects for public and private sector clients at home and abroad.

Sam Gledhill, project engineer and sustainability lead at Devin Consulting, said: “Bringing AI solutions into the business in ways that will support the expertise of our team and help us build on our long-term track record is central to our five-year growth plan. We began to look at a number of off-the-shelf AI options, but found they were all cost prohibitive for a small business like ours, so started a discussion with RMT Technology, which is already our technology partner, about how we might development something of our own together.

“With project proposal documents often running to hundreds of pages, our responses naturally take a lot of time and effort, so there were gains to be made by using AI to make the process more efficient and ensure our responses are even more aligned with clients’ requirements. The positive conversations we’ve had with the RMT Technology team during the new system’s development have really helped us see how AI can support our growth ambitions and their expertise is now assisting us in implementing new ways of working that we believe will benefit the whole business.”

Stephen McNickle, commercial director at RMT Technology, add: “As with any other technology, AI needs to be directed towards fulfilling specific business needs if it’s going to achieve the maximum impact. Working with the Devin Consulting team on this project has been a really positive experience all round and they’ve now got new AI tools in place that will have a tangible impact on their future commercial performance.”

Dan Tenney returned to the North East, where Lockheed Martin UK hopes to build a satellite assembly plant in addition to work with Northumbria University and the UK Space Agency

A senior leader from defence and aerospace giant Lockheed Martin has visited the region to see progress in significant investment.

Dan Tenney, senior vice president of global business development and strategy, was instrumental in driving Lockheed Martin UK’s commitment to the North East via and ambitions for an £85m satellite factory and the setting up of a £50m space research facility with Northumbria University. Mr Tenney made a return visit alongside Lockheed’s vice president of global space, Rod Drury, to see how the firm’s involvement has strengthened the growing space sector.

He visited the North East Space Skills and Technology Centre (NESST), a joint project between Lockheed Martin Space UK, Northumbria University and the UK Space Agency which is due to open later this year. The centre is based in Northumbria’s Newcastle city centre campus, in the Wynne Jones building.

Mr Tenney said: “The North East is building something unique for the UK. The combination of world-class skills, industrial capability and regional leadership is creating the foundations for a sovereign space ecosystem that can support economic growth, innovation, and national capability.

“It has been inspiring to see the progress made since our initial investment discussions and to see the vision becoming a reality.”

The visit to Newcastle follows an announcement in early June by Lockheed Martin UK that it was looking to hire an initial 17 people in the North East, as part of wider ambitions to create up to 2,000 jobs in the UK. Among that cohort was high tech roles including nuclear radiation hardening, spacecraft platforms and cryptography, among other specialisms. Lockheed is also recruiting for commercial managers, supply chain leads, cost analysts, trainer roles and senior project planners.

The jobs are part of Lockheed Martin UK’s commitment to a long-term skills pipeline in the region. In May, following a meeting in Washington DC between North East Mayor Kim McGuinness and Lockheed Martin UK, a memorandum of understanding was signed to solidify that commitment, along with investment and supply chain growth.

And Mr Drury’s return to the region followed a visit in March where he set out plans to create an £85m satellite factory at County Durham’s NETPark – a move he said could create up to 500 jobs. Those plans are contingent on Lockheed being awarded a Government contract which is due to be announced any time.

If successful, Lockheed has said it would look to set up an assembly and testing facility spanning more than 50,000 sqft. The facility would initially focus on assembly of components built elsewhere, with Mr Drury saying he hoped that in time Lockheed could manufacturer parts in the North East.

Apple briefly passed Nvidia to become the world’s most valuable company on Friday as the tech titans jostled for the top spot as investors reconsider the outlook for investments in AI.

Apple’s market cap topped Nvidia’s early Friday as the latter saw shares slide along with other chipmaker stocks as investors continue to evaluate whether tech firms’ rapid buildout of AI tools and the data centers needed to support them will yield near-term profits.

The consumer tech giant saw its market cap rise to more than $4.91 trillion, above Nvidia’s $4.9 trillion at the time.

Shares in the iPhone-maker pulled back some of their earlier gains, which allowed Nvidia to regain the top spot before the closing bell as shares in the world’s leading AI chip designer pared their losses and lifted the firm’s valuation.

APPLE TO INVEST $30 BILLION IN US CHIP MANUFACTURING

Apple briefly topped Nvidia as the world’s largest company by market cap during Friday’s trading session. (Eric Thayer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

As of Friday’s closing bell, Nvidia’s market cap reclaimed the title of the world’s largest at $4.92 trillion, narrowly topping Apple’s $4.89 trillion. Apple shares rose 0.14% while Nvidia’s fell 2.21% during the trading session.

The shifts in the pecking order of tech leaders in the so-called Magnificent 7 stocks comes as investors are looking at stocks beyond the obvious winners of the AI race like Nvidia, which has held the title of largest market cap for nearly a year. Apple’s move on Friday briefly made it the leader for the first time since April 2025.

Investors are considering the costs and benefits of companies spending to build AI models and data centers used to power them, as well as the means at their disposal to turn AI tools into meaningful revenue drivers.

APPLE TO WORK WITH INTEL ON US CHIP DESIGN AND PRODUCTION, TRUMP SAYS

“Apple was seen as a laggard in the AI race because it wasn’t spending to develop models, but now sentiment has changed,” said Toni Meadows, head of investment at BRI Wealth Management.

“Apple is less exposed to capex intensity and better positioned to monetize AI via services, ecosystem lock-in, and hardware upgrades. The re-rating reflects confidence in earnings durability rather than speculative AI upside,” Meadows added.

The market is expected to see more options in the AI space become available for investors this year, with the anticipated IPOs of Anthropic and ChatGPT-maker OpenAI.

JENSEN HUANG SAYS NVIDIA’S NEW RTX SPARK CHIP WILL REINVENT THE PC

Apple CEO Tim Cook is stepping down from his role in September. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

South Korea’s SK Hynix also listed on the Nasdaq earlier this month, bringing another memory chipmaker into the consideration of investors evaluating the AI space.

Hynix’s move followed the success Micron has enjoyed this year that lifted the chipmaker above $1 trillion in market cap.

“The new entrants to the market could spread out the focus away from the pure Magnificent Seven names into a wider number of names,” said Benjamin Hall, VP of alpha research at Segal Macro Advisors.

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Reuters contributed to this report.

Fresh produce supplier Taylor Farms is preparing a recall tied to ingredients linked to a multistate Cyclospora outbreak, according to a Bloomberg News report, as the company says its branded salad products are not associated with the illnesses.

Bloomberg, citing a document viewed by the outlet, reported Friday that the California-based produce company told federal regulators it is preparing a recall connected to the Food and Drug Administration’s investigation into the parasite outbreak. The scope of any potential recall was not immediately clear, and it remains unclear which products could be affected.

Taylor Farms responded Friday in a statement posted to Instagram, saying none of its branded salad kits are associated with the outbreak and that it is voluntarily removing iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico through its Taylor Farms de Mexico operation after receiving information from the FDA.

FDA SAYS TACO BELL TO STOP USING LETTUCE SUPPLIER LINKED TO MULTISTATE PARASITE OUTBREAK

Packages of Taylor Farms salad greens are displayed at a Safeway store in Kings Beach, California, on July 16, 2026. Bloomberg News reported Taylor Farms is preparing a recall tied to ingredients under investigation in a multistate cyclospora outbrea ( Justin Sullivan/Getty Images / Getty Images)

“As a family owned and operated company, we are deeply concerned for those who became ill, their families, and the many Americans whose trust in the safety of their fresh produce has been shaken,” the company said.

The company added: “No Taylor Farms branded salads or kits are associated with this outbreak. No Taylor Farms branded salad kits contain iceberg lettuce.”

Taylor Farms said the FDA’s trace back investigation identified what it described as “a specific independent farm” representing less than 1% of the U.S. iceberg lettuce supply as the potential source of the outbreak. The company said it has removed all iceberg lettuce from that growing region indefinitely.

OHIO MAN SUES TACO BELL FRANCHISEE, CLAIMING CYCLOSPORA INFECTION LEFT HIM SICK FOR 2 WEEKS

Taylor Farms salad products are displayed for sale at a Safeway grocery store in Kings Beach, California, on July 16, 2026. The company says its branded salad kits are not associated with a cyclospora outbreak under federal investigation. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images / Getty Images)

The development comes days after Taco Bell removed some lettuce from restaurants in parts of the Midwest after federal health officials linked illnesses to shredded lettuce served at the fast-food chain and pointed investigators to a single supplier.

Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that can cause severe diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps, fatigue and other gastrointestinal symptoms.

Packages of Taylor Farms salad greens are displayed at a Safeway store in Kings Beach, California, on July 16, 2026. The company says it has voluntarily removed iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico while federal officials continue investigatin (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images / Getty Images)

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The FDA has not publicly identified a definitive source of the outbreak, and its investigation remains ongoing.

Taylor Farms did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for additional comment. The FDA also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Most businesses spend weeks choosing the right paint colours, desks and lighting for an office refurb. But when the start date arrives, there’s one question nobody’s answered: where does everything go while the contractors tear the place apart?

That’s usually where things fall apart. The design is exciting. The logistics are not. And it’s the logistics that will determine whether your refurbishment runs smoothly or turns into weeks of lost productivity.

Plan in Phases, Not All at Once

The biggest mistake businesses make is trying to refurbish the whole office in one go. On paper, it sounds faster. In practice, it means every single member of staff is displaced at the same time, sometimes for weeks.

A phased approach is far more manageable. You refurbish one floor or wing at a time while the rest of the building stays operational. Staff rotate into unaffected areas, and contractors get a clear zone without tripping over people trying to answer client emails.

This does require more planning upfront. You’ll need to work closely with your fit-out company and map out a sequence that works for the building layout and the scope of the project. But the alternative is an entire workforce crammed into a coffee shop for a fortnight, and that’s a cost no one budgets for.

What Happens to All the Furniture and Equipment?

This is the bit that catches people off guard. The contractors are booked, the timeline is agreed, but the office is still full of desks, filing cabinets, monitors and boxes of paperwork. All of it needs to go somewhere before anyone can start work.

Some businesses try to cram everything into a spare meeting room or corridor. It creates a bottleneck and usually ends up in the contractor’s way. Others hire vans and shuttle things to a self-storage unit across town, which eats into the budget and takes staff away from their actual jobs.

A much simpler option is to use the Kiwi mobile storage service, where a team comes directly to your premises, collects your office contents, stores everything securely off-site in 24/7 monitored facilities and delivers it all back once the refurb is done. You don’t need to organise transport or hire a van. It keeps items out of the contractor’s way without asking your office manager to play Tetris with desks in a corridor.

Sort Temporary Working Arrangements Early

Don’t wait until the first day of construction to figure out where people will work. The earlier you plan this, the less disruption your team will feel.

If your team already has laptops and cloud-based tools, a temporary shift to remote working can be fairly painless. But you’ll still need to think about phone systems, client meetings and access to shared files or printers.

If remote working isn’t realistic for your operation, look into short-term serviced office space. Many flexible workspace providers offer rolling monthly terms, so you won’t be locked into a long lease for somewhere you only need for six weeks.

Tell Your Team Before the Builders Turn Up

A refurbishment affects everyone, not just the project manager. If your staff don’t know what’s happening and when, expect frustration and a noticeable dip in productivity.

Give your team a clear timeline. Tell them which areas will be affected and when, where they’ll be working during each phase, and what access they’ll have to the building. If there’s going to be noise, dust or limited facilities on certain days, say so in advance. People can handle inconvenience if they know it’s coming.

It also helps to name one person as the go-to for refurbishment queries. That way, questions and complaints go to someone who can actually answer them instead of bouncing around a group chat.

Don’t Leave IT Until Last

Desks and chairs are easy to move. Server racks and cabling are not. If your refurbishment involves any structural changes, rewiring or floor work, get your IT team involved from day one.

You’ll need to make sure your network stays live during the works, or that there’s a clear plan for any downtime and recovery. If staff are moving to a temporary space, they’ll need working Wi-Fi, access to printers and a reliable phone setup. These things don’t arrange themselves, and they’re often the last items on the to-do list.

The Refurb Is the Easy Part

Picking new furniture and a fresh colour scheme is the fun bit. Coordinating the logistics around it is what will actually make or break your timeline. Think about where your furniture and equipment will go, how your team will work through the disruption, and who’s responsible for keeping everything on track. Get those three things right and the refurbishment itself will feel like the simple bit.

Brenda Fricker, the Irish actress who became the first Irish woman to win an Academy Award and endeared herself to generations of moviegoers with roles in “My Left Foot” and “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” has died at the age of 81.

Fricker won the Oscar for best supporting actress in 1990 for her portrayal of the on-screen mother of Christy Brown, a real-life Irish man born with cerebral palsy who could control only his left foot, in the film “My Left Foot.” The role was played by Daniel Day-Lewis, who also won an Academy Award for his lead performance that year. Fricker’s win made history, marking the first time an Irish actress had claimed an Academy Award, defeating a field of Hollywood stars that included Julia Roberts and Anjelica Huston.

Fricker’s agent, Phil Belfield, confirmed her death in a statement. “We will never see her like again and the world is lesser for the lack of her,” Belfield said, adding that he had been honored to know, love and work with her, and that she would always hold a place in his heart and in the hearts of film and television fans around the world.

Born in Dublin, Fricker built a decades-long career that spanned television, theater and film, beginning with early roles including a part in Ireland’s first soap opera, “Tolka Row,” in the 1960s, followed by a stint on the British soap “Coronation Street” in 1977 and an appearance in “Licking Hitler,” a television drama written by David Hare, in 1978.

Fricker gained wide recognition through her role as nurse Megan Roach on the long-running BBC medical drama “Casualty,” appearing in the show’s very first episode when it launched in 1986 and remaining a regular fixture until 1990, with occasional returns to the role in subsequent years through her final appearance in 2010.

Two years after her Oscar win, Fricker took on one of her most widely beloved roles, playing the homeless “pigeon lady” who befriends Macaulay Culkin’s character Kevin McCallister in New York’s Central Park in the 1992 holiday comedy “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.” The role introduced her to an entirely new generation of audiences beyond those familiar with her earlier dramatic work.

Fricker’s additional film credits included the 1993 comedy “So I Married an Axe Murderer,” the 1994 family film “Angels in the Outfield,” the 1996 legal drama “A Time to Kill,” and the 2003 biographical film “Veronica Guerin,” in which she played the mother of the murdered Irish journalist at the center of the story.

Despite her landmark Oscar win, Fricker later reflected that the honor may have ultimately worked against her career rather than propelling it forward. “What did happen was the old curse of the Oscars, as they call it,” she told The Times in 2024, explaining that the accolade led to her being typecast and passed over for a number of roles, including in theater. She was characteristically wry about the financial realities of the honor as well, joking, “So there’s a lot that’s not great about an Oscar. And you don’t get any money. They could give you a few bob with it, at least.”

Tributes to Fricker poured in from Irish political and cultural figures following news of her death. Ireland’s Tánaiste, or deputy prime minister, Simon Harris, said he was deeply saddened by the loss of what he called a national treasure. He described her as a consummate performer who brought depth and humanity to every role she undertook, calling her one of the greatest exports Ireland has ever produced and an ambassador for Irish talent on the world stage, adding that the country would never see her like again.

The United States ambassador to Ireland, Edward Walsh, also paid tribute to Fricker, describing her as a giant of Irish film and praising her unforgettable performance in “My Left Foot.” Writing on the social media platform X, Walsh said her work carried Ireland’s stories to audiences around the world and inspired generations on both sides of the Atlantic, extending his condolences to her family, friends and all who loved her.

Earlier this year, Dublin’s Lord Mayor, Councillor Ray McAdam, had proposed that Fricker receive the freedom of the city, describing her as one of Dublin’s most distinguished cultural figures. He said her work was marked by honesty, depth and a rare ability to bring warmth and toughness in the same breath, adding that her performances had helped tell Irish stories and become part of family life across generations.

In a memoir published last year, Fricker offered a candid account of a difficult upbringing, describing an unstable childhood in which she experienced abuse at home and was groomed at age eight by a man who gave her elocution lessons. She also wrote about being seriously injured in a bicycle accident at age 14 that left her hospitalized for two years, and about surviving sexual assault as a teenager and again later in her career. Despite those hardships, she recalled holding onto some fond memories of her youth, saying that in the era she grew up in, young people could be wild, and that she looked back on those days with a kind of gratitude. Reflecting on the broader arc of her life and career to The Times, she said the path she had taken was never something she had calculated or planned, describing it instead as the product of luck and happy accidents along the way.

Fricker’s death adds to a string of recent losses in the entertainment industry, following closely on the heels of tributes paid to other notable performers in recent weeks. Her legacy, built across nearly five decades of work spanning Irish theater, British television and Hollywood film, is expected to be remembered both for her groundbreaking Oscar win and for the warmth she brought to some of the most memorable supporting roles in modern cinema.

Costco shoppers have a new reason to linger after loading their carts with bulk paper towels and oversized snack packs: The retailer has added chicken strips to its famously affordable food court menu.

The new offering includes five large, breaded chicken breast strips and a container of dipping sauce for $6.99. The combo clocks in at 1,640 calories.

After appearing in select test markets earlier this year, the strips are now being reported at Costco warehouses across the country.

WEALTHY AMERICANS CHOOSE ONE GROCERY STORE CHAIN OVER RIVALS, SURVEY FINDS

The food court at Costco as it opens in Pensacola on June 25, 2026. (© Gregg Pachkowski/Pensacola News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images / IMAGN)

The chicken strips join a food court lineup best known for its $1.50 hot dog and soda combo, oversized pizza slices and selection of sandwiches and desserts. 

At nearly $7, the strips are more expensive than Costco’s signature hot dog deal. The orange-colored dipping sauce has drawn nearly as much attention as the chicken itself. 

Reviewers have compared its appearance to sauces served at popular chicken chains, though its flavor has been described as closer to a tangy or zesty honey mustard.

“Costco just dropped new chicken strips!!! Someone check on @chickfila; if there was a @costco drive-through, it would be over,” Costco food blogger Lucas Gomes, @therealkirklandking, shared in an Instagram reel. “This sauce does not taste like Chick-fil-A sauce. I don’t know what this mystery sauce is, but it’s good.”

The food court at Costco as it opens in Pensacola on June 25, 2026. (© Gregg Pachkowski/Pensacola News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images / IMAGN)

COSTCO SAYS YOUR NEXT CHECKOUT COULD TAKE UNDER 10 SECONDS THANKS TO NEW AUTOMATED PAY STATIONS

As with many changes to Costco’s closely watched food court, the reaction has been mixed. Some shoppers have praised the size of the strips and called the meal a strong value. Others have criticized the chicken as salty, dry or too heavily breaded.

Costco has made several notable menu changes in recent years, including replacing its churro with a large chocolate chip cookie and introducing new sandwich options.

Costco shoppers scramble for free sample of Phillips Foods Lobster Meat during the grand opening of a new store in North Port, Florida. (© Mike Lang / Sarasota Herald-Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images / IMAGN)

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FOX Business reached out to Costco for comment.