Cookie Policy

1. Introduction

This Cookie Policy explains how Slim Chickens ("we," "us," or "our") uses cookies and similar tracking technologies on our website slim-chickens.rest (the "Site"). This policy should be read alongside our Privacy Policy, which explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information.

By continuing to use our website, you consent to our use of cookies in accordance with this Cookie Policy. If you do not agree to our use of cookies, you should set your browser settings accordingly or stop using our Site.

2. What Are Cookies

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer, smartphone, or other device when you visit a website. They are widely used by website owners to make their websites work more efficiently and to provide reporting information.

Types of Cookies by Function:

• Session Cookies: These are temporary cookies that remain in your device until you leave the website. They help us maintain your session as you browse our site.
• Persistent Cookies: These cookies remain on your device for a set period (or until you delete them) and are activated each time you visit our website.
• First-Party Cookies: These are set directly by our website and can only be read by us.
• Third-Party Cookies: These are set by external services we use, such as Google Analytics or social media platforms.

3. Why We Use Cookies

We use cookies for several important reasons that help us provide you with the best possible experience on our food service website:

Essential Website Functionality:

• Maintaining your shopping cart contents as you browse our menu
• Remembering your login status for online ordering
• Ensuring website security and preventing fraud
• Load balancing to ensure optimal website performance

Food Service-Specific Features:

• Storing your preferred restaurant location for delivery estimation
• Remembering your dietary preferences and allergen information
• Saving your favorite menu items for quick reordering
• Tracking order history for customer service purposes

Performance and Analytics:

• Understanding how visitors use our website to improve user experience
• Analyzing popular menu items and peak ordering times
• Monitoring website performance and identifying technical issues
• Gathering statistics about our most visited pages

Marketing and Advertising:

• Showing you relevant promotional offers based on your preferences
• Displaying personalized content about new menu items
• Retargeting visitors with relevant advertisements on other websites
• Measuring the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns

4. Types of Cookies We Use

Below are detailed tables showing the specific cookies used on our website, organized by category:

4.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are essential for the website to function properly. They cannot be switched off in our systems.

Cookie Name	Provider	Purpose	Type	Duration
PHPSESSID	Slim Chickens	Maintains user session for online ordering and account management	Session	Browser session
cart_token	Slim Chickens	Stores shopping cart contents and selected menu items	Persistent	30 days
security_token	Slim Chickens	Prevents cross-site request forgery attacks during checkout	Session	Browser session
location_pref	Slim Chickens	Remembers preferred restaurant location for delivery	Persistent	90 days
user_consent	Slim Chickens	Records cookie consent preferences	Persistent	1 year

4.2 Performance/Analytics Cookies

These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting and reporting information anonymously.

Cookie Name	Provider	Purpose	Type	Duration
_ga	Google Analytics	Distinguishes unique users and tracks website usage patterns	Persistent	2 years
_gid	Google Analytics	Distinguishes users and tracks daily website interactions	Persistent	24 hours
_gat_gtag	Google Analytics	Throttles request rate to prevent spam	Persistent	1 minute
_hjSessionUser	Hotjar	Tracks user behavior for website optimization	Persistent	1 year
menu_analytics	Slim Chickens	Tracks popular menu items and ordering patterns	Persistent	6 months

4.3 Functionality Cookies

These cookies enhance functionality and personalization, such as language settings and region preferences.

Cookie Name	Provider	Purpose	Type	Duration
lang_pref	Slim Chickens	Stores language preference for website content	Persistent	1 year
dietary_prefs	Slim Chickens	Remembers dietary restrictions and allergen information	Persistent	6 months
favorites	Slim Chickens	Stores favorite menu items for quick reordering	Persistent	1 year
ui_settings	Slim Chickens	Saves user interface preferences and settings	Persistent	90 days

4.4 Targeting/Marketing Cookies

These cookies track your browsing activity to deliver advertisements that are more relevant to your interests.

Cookie Name	Provider	Purpose	Type	Duration
_fbp	Facebook Pixel	Tracks conversions and enables targeted advertising on Facebook	Persistent	90 days
_gcl_au	Google AdSense	Stores and tracks conversions for Google Ads campaigns	Persistent	90 days
retargeting	Slim Chickens	Enables showing relevant ads to previous website visitors	Persistent	30 days
promo_tracking	Slim Chickens	Tracks effectiveness of promotional campaigns and offers	Persistent	60 days

5. Third-Party Cookies

We work with trusted third-party services that may also set cookies on your device. These services help us provide better functionality and analyze our website performance:

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our website. This helps us improve our menu presentation, optimize our ordering process, and enhance user experience. Google Analytics cookies track information such as how long you spend on our site, which pages you visit, and how you navigate through our menu.

Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy

Facebook Pixel

The Facebook Pixel helps us measure the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns and show you relevant promotions about our food and special offers when you visit Facebook and Instagram.

Privacy Policy: https://www.facebook.com/privacy/explanation

Hotjar

Hotjar provides analytics and feedback tools that help us understand how users interact with our website, particularly during the ordering process. This helps us improve the user experience and identify any issues with our online ordering system.

Privacy Policy: https://www.hotjar.com/legal/policies/privacy

6. Cookie Duration

Different cookies have different lifespans depending on their purpose:

Session Cookies

These cookies are deleted when you close your browser. They include:

• Login session cookies for account management
• Security tokens for form submissions
• Temporary shopping cart data

Persistent Cookies

These cookies remain on your device for specified periods:

Duration	Cookie Types	Purpose
1 minute	Google Analytics throttling	Prevent spam and manage request rates
24 hours	Daily analytics tracking	Track daily user interactions and patterns
30 days	Shopping cart, marketing tracking	Maintain cart contents and track campaign effectiveness
90 days	Location preferences, advertising	Remember location settings and enable targeted advertising
6 months	Menu analytics, dietary preferences	Track menu popularity and remember dietary restrictions
1 year	Language preferences, favorites, consent	Store long-term user preferences and consent records
2 years	Google Analytics user tracking	Long-term website usage analysis

7. How to Manage Cookies

You have several options for managing cookies on our website:

7.1 Browser Settings

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings preferences. Here are step-by-step instructions for the most popular browsers:

7.2 Opt-Out Links

You can opt out of specific tracking services using these direct links:

• Google Analytics: Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on
• Facebook Advertising: Facebook Ad Preferences
• Google Advertising: Google Ad Settings
• Network Advertising Initiative: NAI Opt-out Tool
• Digital Advertising Alliance: DAA Opt-out Tool

7.3 Our Cookie Consent Tool

When you first visit our website, you'll see a cookie consent banner that allows you to:

• Accept all cookies
• Reject non-essential cookies
• Customize your cookie preferences by category

You can change your cookie preferences at any time by clicking the "Cookie Preferences" link in our website footer or by clearing your browser cookies and revisiting our site.

8. Consequences of Disabling Cookies

If you choose to block or delete cookies, you may experience the following limitations:

Essential Functionality Affected:

• Online Ordering: You may not be able to add items to your cart or complete purchases
• Account Access: You may need to log in repeatedly during your session
• Location Services: We won't be able to remember your preferred restaurant location
• Preferences: Your dietary restrictions and menu preferences won't be saved

Enhanced Features That May Not Work:

• Personalized menu recommendations based on your order history
• Quick reordering of your favorite items
• Customized promotional offers and discounts
• Seamless navigation between menu categories
• Delivery time estimates based on your location

Analytics and Improvement Limitations:

• We won't be able to analyze website performance to improve user experience
• Menu optimization based on customer preferences may be affected
• Customer service improvements based on usage patterns may be limited

9. Do Not Track Signals

Some browsers include a "Do Not Track" (DNT) feature that signals to websites that you do not want to have your online activity tracked. Currently, there is no universally agreed-upon standard for how websites should respond to DNT signals.

Our current approach to DNT signals:

• We honor DNT signals for non-essential marketing and advertising cookies
• Essential cookies for website functionality will still be used regardless of DNT settings
• You can use our cookie consent tool to make more specific choices about tracking
• We continue to monitor industry standards and may update our DNT response in the future

To enable DNT in your browser:

• Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Send a "Do not track" request
• Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Send websites a "Do Not Track" signal
• Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Website tracking: "Ask websites not to track me"
• Edge: Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Send "Do Not Track" requests

10. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make changes, we will:

• Update the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy
• Post the revised policy on our website
• For significant changes, notify you through:
  • A notice on our website homepage
  • Email notification if you have an account with us
  • Update to our cookie consent banner

We encourage you to review this Cookie Policy periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies and how you can manage them. Continued use of our website after any changes indicates your acceptance of the updated Cookie Policy.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Cookie Policy or our use of cookies, please contact us:

12. More Information

For additional information about cookies and how they work, you can visit these helpful resources:

General Cookie Information:

• All About Cookies - Comprehensive guide to cookies and privacy
• Cookiepedia - Database of cookies and their purposes
• Your Online Choices - European cookie and advertising opt-out

Browser Help Pages:

• Chrome Cookie Settings
• Firefox Privacy Settings
• Safari Cookie Management
• Edge Cookie Management

Privacy Tools and Resources:

• Privacy Badger - Browser extension for blocking trackers
• Ghostery - Privacy-focused browser extension
• Disconnect - Privacy protection tools

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This Cookie Policy is effective as of January 15, 2025. By continuing to use our website, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this policy.