A hotly-debated $532.50 per-ticket Chicago "foodie lovers" tour -- which includes a hot dog, a small popcorn and a donut -- was inaccurately priced, the event provider says.
Instead, the correct price of the tour is $319, a spokesperson has confirmed.
The updated pricing comes after an NBC 5 inquiry into and article about a now deactivated four-hour walking tour listed on event site FeverUp, which describes a "Chicago Foodie Lovers Tour" as one that brings customers to the most iconic and delicious spots in Chicago all in one day."
According to the tour description, the event includes five food items — a Portillo's hot dog, a small Garrett's popcorn, a six-inch Al's Italian beef sandwich, a slice of deep dish pizza and a Do-Rite Donut — along with bottle of water, and an Uber ride.
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The event listing also includes "entry" to the Wrigley Building and Tribune Tower, both of which are free for the public to visit.
One of the last stops on the tour, the listing says, is a visit to Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park. While the Clarence F. Buckingham Fountain turned off for the season in October, it is still open to visitors.
A Chicago Reddit thread titled "A $500 Chicago 'Foodie Tour.' Am I missing something?" shows more than 300 commenters have questioned the pricing, timing and food offered on the tour, with some raising concerns about the event's legitimacy.
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"I did all those things as a tourist on a budget in June, and didn’t spend anywhere near $500," one comment reads.
A Twitter thread with more than 200 comments expressed similar concerns. "For that price, you could go to Alinea and bring a date," one tweet read, refencing one of the city's fanciest spots.
In an email to NBC 5, FeverUp indicated the event's provider, Viator -- a tour and experience marketplace for independent operators -- is responsible for providing the event information listed, including the ticket price. "FeverUp does not determine pricing," a spokesperson for FeverUp wrote.
After Viator confirmed to NBC 5 a pricing "discrepancy," the tour was deactivated on the FeverUp website. However, the tour is currently active on Viator's site, at $319 per ticket.
According to a Viator spokesperson, the ticket price of $319 is accurate.
When asked by NBC 5 how pricing for tours is determined, Viator in an email said "We receive a recommended retail rate from our suppliers and we typically adhere to the retail range."
According to the Portillo's website, a regular hot dog begins at $3.99. An individual cheese pizza from pizzeria Uno starts at $10.99, and a six-inch Al's Italian beef sandwich begins at $9.71, according to both restaurants' online ordering system.
A small bag of Garret's Mix, according to Garret's Popcorn's online store, begins at $4.99, and the price of a Do-Rite Donut starts at $3.25.
