You’re looking for a Costco Business Center NYC location. It’s a bit of a trick question. If you open up Google Maps and type that in while standing in the middle of Times Square, you aren't going to find a massive warehouse with "Business Center" on the door within the five boroughs.
New York City has plenty of standard Costco warehouses. You've got the one in Astoria, the chaotic but beloved Sunset Park location, and of course, the East Harlem spot on 116th. But a Business Center? That’s a different beast entirely. To find the one serving the NYC metro area, you’re basically looking at a trip across the Hudson to Hackensack, New Jersey.
Why bother? Because the regular Costco is for families buying pajamas and rotisserie chickens. The Business Center is for the person who needs a 50-pound bag of onions, a literal pallet of Red Bull, or a commercial-grade meat slicer at 7:00 AM. It’s weird. It’s industrial. And for a certain type of shopper, it’s way better.
The Geography of the NYC Business Center Loophole
Let's get the logistics out of the way first. The "NYC" Business Center is technically located at 80 Commerce Way, Hackensack, NJ 07601.
It’s close. But if you’re coming from Queens or Brooklyn, that George Washington Bridge toll is going to bite. You have to do the math. Is the gas and the $15+ toll worth the savings on bulk goods? For a restaurant owner in Washington Heights? Absolutely. For a casual shopper in Park Slope just looking for a deal on paper towels? Probably not, unless you’re doing a massive quarterly haul.
The Hackensack location is the primary hub, but there's another one in Edison, NJ, if you're coming from Staten Island or further south. These spots are strategically placed to avoid the absolute gridlock of Manhattan while remaining accessible to the thousands of bodegas, food trucks, and offices that keep New York City running.
What Actually Happens Inside a Business Center?
Walk in and you'll immediately notice something is missing. There are no clothes. No books. No seasonal toys or massive displays of patio furniture. You won't find a pharmacy, an optical center, or a tire shop.
It feels like a distribution hub.
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The lighting is a bit harsher. The aisles are wider to accommodate massive flatbed carts. You'll see people in chef coats or work uniforms loading up thousands of dollars worth of inventory. It’s quiet. Unlike the Astoria Costco on a Saturday afternoon—which feels like a gladiatorial arena—the Business Center is efficient. People are there to work.
They open early. Most Business Centers, including the one near NYC, open at 7:00 AM. By the time the stay-at-home parents and casual weekenders are waking up, the local deli owners have already finished their shopping and are back at their shops prepping for the lunch rush.
The Inventory Shift
About 70% of what you find at a Business Center isn't available at the regular Costco.
- The Beverages: If you’re a soda or energy drink fanatic, this is your Mecca. While a normal Costco might carry a few varieties of Coke and Pepsi, the Business Center carries everything. Individual glass bottles of Mexican Coke by the case. Every flavor of Monster or Celsius ever conceived. Huge stacks of canned San Pellegrino.
- The Meat Locker: This isn't a "meat department." It's a walk-in cold room where you can buy whole lambs, suckling pigs, and 20-pound logs of ground beef.
- Commercial Kitchen Gear: Need a 40-quart stock pot? A stack of NSF-certified cutting boards? Industrial-sized rolls of aluminum foil that could wrap a car? It’s all in the back aisles.
- The Snacks: Think of every snack you’ve ever seen in a vending machine. Those are sold here in "vending packs." Individual bags of chips, candy bars, and granola bars in quantities that would make a dentist weep.
Why Regular NYC Residents Are Showing Up Anyway
You don't need a special "business" membership to shop here. Your standard Gold Star membership works just fine.
Lately, there’s been a shift. Regular New Yorkers are realizing that if they have the storage space (a rare commodity in a 500-square-foot apartment, I know), the unit prices at the Business Center are unbeatable.
I talked to a guy in the parking lot last month who drives from the Bronx once a month. He doesn't own a business. He just has three teenage sons. He buys the 5-gallon buckets of pickles and the massive crates of eggs because it's the only way he can keep his grocery bill under four figures.
The "hidden" benefit is the lack of crowds. Honestly, the mental health boost of not fighting for a parking spot at the Brooklyn Costco is worth the drive to Jersey alone. You can get in and out in thirty minutes. No lines. No samples slowing down the aisles. Just pure, unadulterated bulk shopping.
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Delivery: The Secret NYC Business Center Move
Here is the thing most people get wrong about the Costco Business Center NYC reach. You don't necessarily have to go to Jersey.
Costco Business Delivery is a separate wing of the company. They have a specific delivery zone that covers most of New York City. If you have a business address—and sometimes even if you don't—you can get these bulk items delivered directly to your door.
There is a catch. The delivery minimum is usually around $250 to avoid a delivery fee. For a small office in Midtown, that’s easy. A couple of cases of water, some coffee pods, and some snacks for the breakroom, and you’re there. For an individual, it’s a bit of a hurdle. But if you’re planning a graduation party or a massive BBQ, having Costco deliver the meat and drinks directly to your apartment in Long Island City is a total game-changer.
The Weird Stuff You Only Find Here
You haven't lived until you've seen a 50-pound bag of carrots. It’s a lot of carrots.
The Business Center also stocks things like tobacco (in certain locations, though regulations in NY/NJ make this tricky), specialized cleaning chemicals that could probably strip paint, and "to-go" containers of every possible shape and size.
If you’ve ever wondered where your local coffee shop gets those specific white paper cups and green stirrers, they’re on aisle 14.
Is It Worth the Trip?
Let’s be real. If you’re living in a walk-up in Chelsea, you aren't carrying a 40-pound case of chicken thighs up five flights of stairs.
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But for the "Big House" New Yorkers—the folks in Staten Island, the deep Bronx, or the outskirts of Queens—the Business Center is a tactical advantage.
Pros
- Zero crowds: It’s eerily peaceful compared to a standard warehouse.
- Unique items: Things you simply cannot find elsewhere, especially in the beverage and candy sections.
- Early hours: Get your shopping done before the city even starts moving.
- Business-grade quality: The kitchen tools are built to last a lifetime, even if they aren't "pretty."
Cons
- No "Fun" stuff: No rotisserie chicken (usually), no samples, no bakery, no clothes.
- The Drive: Crossing into New Jersey from NYC is always a gamble with traffic.
- Size: You need a car with a big trunk and a home with a big pantry.
Making the Most of Your Visit
If you decide to make the trek to Hackensack, go early. 7:30 AM is the sweet spot. The pros are already halfway done, and the "curious" shoppers haven't arrived yet.
Bring a jacket. Seriously. The walk-in produce and meat refrigerators are massive—basically the size of a small grocery store on their own—and they are kept at near-freezing temperatures. If you’re planning on browsing the cheese or meat sections, you’ll be shivering in five minutes if you’re in a t-shirt.
Check the "Savings" book before you go. The Business Center has its own separate set of coupons and "Instant Savings" that don't always align with the regular Costco circular. You can find these on the Costco Business Center website.
Final Strategic Takeaways
Don't go to the Costco Business Center NYC (Hackensack) expecting a fun family outing. There are no free pieces of sausage on toothpicks. There are no $1.50 hot dogs (most Business Centers lack a food court, though some have a limited version).
Go because you need to stock up. Go because you're tired of "NYC prices" for basic goods. Go because you want to see what a 2,000-count box of drinking straws looks like.
It’s a masterclass in logistics. Seeing how the city’s small businesses stay fueled is eye-opening. And if you play your cards right, you’ll walk away with a year’s supply of dish soap and enough coffee to survive a decade of New York winters for a fraction of what you'd pay at a neighborhood bodega.
Actionable Next Steps
- Verify your zip code: Go to the Costco Business Center website and enter your NYC zip code to see if you fall within the delivery zone. This saves you the Jersey trip.
- Audit your "consumables": Before going, list things you use every day that don't spoil—trash bags, espresso pods, laundry detergent, sparkling water. These have the highest ROI at the Business Center.
- Check your fridge space: If you’re going for the meat or dairy, clear out your freezer beforehand. You’re not buying a pack of chicken; you’re buying a box.
- Standardize your containers: If you’re a meal prepper, the Business Center sells bulk packs of the exact plastic containers restaurants use. They’re cheap, they stack perfectly, and they’re microwave-safe. Buy one case and throw out your mismatched Tupperware.