Privacy Policy

At CookoutMenus.us, your privacy is something we take seriously. This Privacy Policy explains in plain language what information we collect when you visit our website, how we use it, who we may share it with, and what rights you have over your data. By using our website, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

We are an independent informational website — we do not sell products, process payments, or collect sensitive personal data. Our goal is simple: to help you find accurate Cookout menu prices, nutritional info, and dining tips. Learn more on our About Us page.

1. Information We Collect

We collect two categories of information:

• Information you provide voluntarily — when you submit our contact form or leave a comment, we may collect your name, email address, and message content.
• Information collected automatically — when you visit our site, standard analytics tools (such as Google Analytics) may collect your IP address, browser type, device type, pages visited, time on page, and referring URL. This data is aggregated and anonymous.

We will never ask for your credit card number, Social Security number, bank account details, or any sensitive financial information. If any form on our site appears to request this, do not submit it and contact us immediately at info@coockoutmenus.us.

2. How We Use Your Information

• To respond to questions and messages you send us via the Contact page
• To moderate and display user comments on articles
• To analyze website traffic anonymously and improve our content
• To detect spam and protect the security of our website
• To send occasional updates if you have opted in (you can unsubscribe at any time)

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party for commercial or marketing purposes — ever.

3. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies — small text files stored on your device — for the following purposes:

• Analytics cookies — Google Analytics collects anonymous data about how visitors use our site so we can improve it
• Advertising cookies — If we display ads via Google AdSense or similar networks, those services may place their own cookies to show relevant ads
• Preference cookies — to remember your comment name and email for future visits

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings at any time. Note that disabling cookies may affect some site features, such as commenting. You can also opt out of Google Analytics tracking via the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on.

4. Third-Party Services

Our website may use the following third-party services, each with their own privacy policies:

• Google Analytics — website traffic analysis
• Google AdSense — advertising (if applicable)
• WordPress/Automattic — website platform and Gravatar for comment avatars
• Akismet — spam detection for comments

We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party services. We encourage you to review their individual privacy policies before interacting with them.

5. Third-Party Links

Our articles and pages may contain links to external websites (such as Cookout’s official site, nutrition databases, or other resources). We have no control over the content or privacy practices of those sites. We recommend reviewing their privacy policies before submitting any personal information to them.

6. Children’s Privacy

CookoutMenus.us does not knowingly collect or store personal information from children under the age of 13. If you believe your child has submitted information to our website without your consent, please contact us immediately at info@coockoutmenus.us and we will remove it from our servers promptly.

7. Your Rights — GDPR & CCPA

Depending on where you are located, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to rectification — request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to erasure — request deletion of your personal data (“right to be forgotten”)
• Right to restrict processing — request that we limit how we use your data
• Right to data portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Right to object — object to processing based on legitimate interests
• CCPA rights (California) — request access to, deletion of, or opt-out from the sale of your data (we do not sell data)

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@coockoutmenus.us. We will respond within 30 days.

8. Data Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your information from unauthorized access, disclosure, or loss. However, no method of data transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we do our best to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time as our website evolves or laws change. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated “Last Updated” date at the top. We encourage you to review this page periodically. Continued use of CookoutMenus.us after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact & Questions

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 days.