At Over $500 Per Ticket, Some Are Questioning This Chicago ‘Foodie' Tour — Which Includes a Donut and Hot Dog

With 23 Michelin-rated restaurants, it’s no surprise that Chicago recently ranked high on a Wallethub’s list of Best ‘Foodie’ Cities in the U.S. However, one event dubbed the “Chicago Foodie Lovers Tour” — at $532.50 per ticket — has created some food-centered controversy. The four-hour walking tour, listed as a “private and all-inclusive” event on FeverUp, a website that sells tickets to various entertainment experiences and tours in cities across the world, is described as one that takes customers “to the most iconic and delicious spots in Chicago all in one day. If you are looking for a little bit of culture, great photos, and a ton of delicious food,” the event listing reads, “then this is the tour for you.” 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. 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. However, according to the Chicago Park District, the Clarence F. Buckingham Fountain is closed for the season. In a Chicago Reddit thread titled “A $500 Chicago ‘Foodie Tour.’ Am I missing something?”, more than 300 commenters have questioned the pricing, timing and food offered on the tour, with some raising concerns about the event’s legitimacy. “I did all those things as a tourist on a budget in June, and didn’t spend anywhere near $500,” one comment reads. “This city has much better food than Portillo’s, Al’s and I’m assuming Lou’s or Gino’s,” another says. “Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy all of those places from time to time but they aren’t what I’d call the cutting edge of our food scene.” In an email to NBC 5, FeverUp indicated that tour company Viator, the event’s provider, is responsible for the event information listed — including the the ticket price. “FeverUp does not determine pricing,” a spokesperson for FeverUp wrote. In a request for comment, a Viator spokesperson said the company was “looking into the matter.” According to the Portillo’s website, a regular hot dog begins at $3.99. A personal-sized, deep dish cheese pizza from Lou Malnati’s begins at $9.99, 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.

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