Going to Costco for a quick shopping trip isn’t usually a place for romance—but for TikToker Celeste (@celestegrajedarojas), it turned into an unexpected dating story.
What Happened at Costco
In a TikTok video that has over 181,200 views, Celeste explained that a Costco employee repeatedly hit on her during her visits.
“Every week I go to Costco,” Celeste said. “In the past two weeks, there’s been this guy who works there who has hit on me.”
The first encounter happened in the checkout line. The worker asked her if she was single. Celeste said yes, though she was unsure because the worker was not her usual type.
“He then asks me on a date, and I hesitate even more,” she explained. Instead of giving a direct answer, Celeste told him to ask again the following week if he saw her. “I just wanted some time to think about it,” she added.
When she returned to Costco the next week, the worker approached her again. “He sees me, and he’s like, ‘Celeste,’” she said. “I’m like, ‘Oh, [expletive].’”
He followed up about the date. “So how about that date?” he asked, according to Celeste. When she asked what the plan was, he suggested, “The pool or the movies… a restaurant?” Celeste said it sounded like he hadn’t thought it through.
“He said he wanted to get my number first,” she explained. Celeste replied that she wanted a plan before giving her number and told him to take the week to come up with “an amazing date” she couldn’t say no to. “Maybe we’ll go on it,” she said.
Commenters Split on Her Story
Viewers on TikTok were divided. Some thought the worker’s approach was unusual, while others felt Celeste was asking too much for a first date.
“Pitch the date? Are you a venture capitalist?” one user joked. Another wrote, “You’re too much work, girl.”
Several commenters were also curious about how often she goes to Costco. Celeste explained, “I own a mobile bar, and that’s where I get supplies.”
Some viewers suggested she avoid that Costco. She replied, “It would be worth the extra 20-minute drive.”
Costco Rules on Asking Out Customers
Costco policies do not specifically forbid employees from asking members out. However, the company states that warehouses must remain free from harassment and discrimination for both members and staff.
Repeated unwanted attention could make a member uncomfortable and might be considered harassment. From online reports, it seems more common for members to ask employees out than the other way around.
A Reddit user, speaking from experience, wrote, “As an employee, PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS. I had a member flirt with me and go as far as asking me out. It’s super uncomfortable, and now I avoid him whenever he’s in the warehouse.”
Another Reddit post came from a shopper asking if it’s okay to ask out a worker. “For the past 1.5 years, I’ve been wanting to ask out a guy at my local Costco,” the user said. “Would it be weird as a 31-year-old woman to ask him out while he’s at work?”
The Bigger Conversation
The story sparked a wider discussion about public interactions, workplace boundaries, and dating etiquette. While some viewers found Celeste’s approach playful, others felt it highlighted the awkwardness of romantic advances in public spaces like stores.
