What are some team building excercises for a restaurant?

What kind of team do you want to build? What problems are you trying to address? I hope it’s not just togetherness and happiness. Employees don’t need to like each other to do a good job. They just need to be professional.

lol no I’m not trying to build ‘togetherness and happiness’, our training team needs to work more as an actual team when training new hires. And the separate shifts need to work more cohesively to ensure the best customer service.

Hell, I’d outline the problems, and get them to figure out how to do what needs to be done. I guess you could do a problem solving exercise first that is designed to show how ten minds are better than one. Oh, you might also do a communications exercise, to show them alternative ways of communicating that lead to fewer mistakes and miscommunications. Once you have a plan about what you want them to get out of it, you can use the internet to identify several options, and pick the one you feel most comfortable with. If you feel comfortable enough, you could design your own exercise that is customized for your problem. But I’d consider it training, rather than team-building.

if you mean a fast-food restaurant, hows about one focused on improving English language skills?

I mean, those drive-through lane order taking machines are bad enough in any case, but add to that someone who can’t speak the language and – i’m driving off as i have many times.

not a xenophobe or English-speaking bigot here, just a consumer that’s tired of getting frustrated having to repeat my order several times before the order taker gets it right or i’m outta there.

@avalmez no I don’t mean fast food, I put in the question that I work at a Chilis restaurant and am trying to get some ideas that would be relevant there.

I’ve done some traditional physical team building exercises and they were fantastic. 1. Round circle trust falls. This is where everyone stands in a tight circle. Someone goes in the middle and then falls like a teeter totter all around while people catch them.
2. And there is one where you stand on a balance beam or say a log that has fallen over randomly. Then you all have to arrange yourself alphabetically w/out falling off the beam (i loved that one).

I’ve also done mental exercises. Here are the three best ones I know. And they are loads of fun.
1. Survival Game. You read a scenario. Something like there are all these people trapped on a deserted island. There is a raft but it will only fit five people. It is possible the rafters will find help and send help back. But the people left on the island may die because food is running out. OR there is a nuclear war only six people can fit in the shelter.
Then you create your people. You can use ones on this website or create your own.
The team has to come to a consensus decision on who “lives” or gets on the raft.
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/clt/resources/staff/b2_3.shtml
http://wilderdom.com/games/descriptions/NuclearHolocaustWhoShouldSurvive.html
(you should be prepared for the possibility that no consensus will actually be come to. the real goal is not that everyone agrees on who should live because this is very rare. instead they should come to the idea as a team ,w/out your guidance, that they find another way of choosing who lives like randomly pulling names etc…).

2. The human knot
http://www.teampedia.net/wiki/index.php?title=Human_Knot

3. Toxic River- Everyone is on one side. You measure a space about 5 feet and call it a toxic river. You want the whole squad to cross as fast as they can. They aren’t allowed to cross the toxic river without special pair of boots and there is only one pair of boots. Each person can use the boots only once. The boots cannot be tossed over the river. Each person has to personally give the boots to he next person and if they touch the toxic waste without the boots, the team must start over. Hint: Carrying people over is the key. (if it is played right the answer will end up being carrying more than one person at some point but don’t tell them that or hint at it, it is really quite funny).

Note of caution: Be cautious of exercises that are aimed at younger populations. They seem nice but when played out they don’t end well and people get bored and frustrated easily. Choose only the BEST ones. ALSO the more you participate in the better. People get tired of being simply told what to do. Of course you shouldn’t participate in the ones that have a secret answer or else be very quiet about the secret.

@RedPowerLady those are some great ideas! Thanks!

@pepper0717 no problem, i personally really enjoy team building exercises

You all could make some french fries together. :)