Inside the New Cooking Skills Challenge: Corporate Team Building in Chicago That Ends at the Table
Everyone tastes before Chef judges. Before, the cooking was the main event and the judging was the finale. Now there’s a tasting round first. Every team sits down with the dish they just made, tries it together, and then Chef steps in to judge. It turns the competition into a shared meal instead of a scoreboard, and it gives quieter team members a moment to shine.
Poem Time. This one gets loud. Each team writes and presents a short poem about their company or team that also ties into the food they cooked. It’s ridiculous in the best way, and it’s usually the part people are still quoting on Monday.
More hands-on from start to finish. We reworked our menus to put more of the cooking in your team’s hands. Fewer people standing around, more people actually holding a knife, a whisk, or a sauté pan.
New fall menus. Think scallops and risotto, short rib and gnocchi. Our packages now include appetizers, buffet offerings, and upgraded beverage stations, so the table feels like a real celebration, not an afterthought.
How a Night Runs
A private event at CSS runs about three hours, and your group has the space to itself.
Arrive and settle in. Aprons go on, drinks get poured. We’re BYOB, and we supply the glassware, ice, water, hibiscus tea, and non-alcoholic options.
Teams form up. Chef walks everyone through the menu and the rules, then each team gets its station and its dish.
Cook. This is where the room changes. Departments that barely talk start divvying up tasks, problem-solving, and yelling across the kitchen about who has the garlic.
Taste together. Every team sits down with what they made.
Poem Time + judging. Teams present, Chef judges, and someone walks away with bragging rights for the rest of the year.
Why It Works for Companies
It’s real collaboration, not a forced exercise. Cooking a dish on a clock means dividing work, communicating, and trusting each other’s timing. Nobody has to be told it’s team building, because it just is.
Everyone can participate. No athletic ability, no trivia knowledge, no experience in the kitchen needed. Chef guides every step. And we adapt menus around dietary restrictions (send them over a week before your event) so nobody ends up watching from the sidelines.
It scales. Our main room fits 40–50 guests and a second room fits around 20. We’ve hosted the 44-person team at DLA Architects, 40 from AMPS Power Solutions, and
an 85-person event for Roanoke Group.
Zero planning headaches. Ingredients, equipment, setup, cleanup: all handled. You show up, cook, eat, and go home.
Booking for the Holidays? Here’s the Easy Part
You don’t need a final headcount to lock in your event. If you’re expecting around 50, book for 35 and adjust up as RSVPs come in. A 50% deposit secures it, and dietary needs are due one week out. Holiday dates go fast, so the sooner you reach out, the more options you’ll have.
Ready to bring your team into the kitchen? Send us an inquiry or check out all our team building options. We’re located inside the Design First Builders building in Itasca, an easy drive from Chicago and the western suburbs.
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