How We Source Prices
How we collect prices
For every chain we track, our editors gather item prices from publicly available sources: the restaurant's own website and mobile app, in-store and drive-thru menu boards, and posted franchise price lists across several US regions. We record the item, its size or count, and its posted price, then take a representative national average. Because most fast-food chains are franchised and each operator sets its own prices, we publish an average US price for reference rather than a single guaranteed figure.
How often we update
We review and refresh every menu monthly. Each page shows an "Updated [month year]" stamp and a machine-readable dateModified so readers and search engines can see how current the data is. When a chain announces a menu-wide price change or launches a new value menu, we update the affected pages sooner.
Calories and nutrition
Calorie counts come from each chain's official published nutrition information for a standard preparation of the item. Actual calories vary with size, customization, and location, so we present these as approximate reference figures. For medical or dietary decisions, always check the restaurant's official nutrition calculator.
Editorial independence
ChowPrices is an independent guide and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any restaurant on this site. Restaurant names and logos are the property of their respective owners and are used for identification only. We do not accept payment from chains to alter prices, calories, or rankings.
Corrections
If you spot a price or calorie figure that looks wrong for your area, it may reflect local variation, but we still want to know. We correct verified errors promptly and re-stamp the page's update date when we do.
About the editor
Marcus Bell is the Managing Editor at ChowPrices. He leads the monthly price and menu research across the fast-food chains we track, checks figures against multiple public sources, and maintains this methodology and the site's corrections policy. Questions or a price that looks off? Reach the team through the details on our About page.