Culinary Team Building and Group Events

We host a variety of group classes and events that are sure to be a hit with a group! Whether you want to gather a group of friends for a private class or get your coworkers together out of the office for a team building activity, we have three great types of events to choose from. Our Event Specialists will customize your event based on your needs, theme, and dietary restrictions.

All group culinary events take place in Macy’s Culinary Studio at 111 N. State St. on the 7th floor. These can be held during the day or evening, outside of regular store hours, and on weekends. We require a minimum of 10 guests for group events, and suggest no more than 35 for hands-on classes. Upon arrival, guests will enjoy a cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres and beverages, giving them an opportunity to relax before beginning one of the following three types of events:

Hands-On Cooking Classes
As the class begins, guests will be given recipe packets to use throughout the class and bring home. The Chef will review the menu, kitchen safety and sanitation rules, and will divide the group into smaller teams. Each team is then responsible for preparing a portion of the meal and are provided with work stations, aprons, recipes, ingredients, and utensils. The Chef and assistants are available to answer any questions, and will check in with each team throughout the class to provide helpful hints and advice. Once the meal is ready, it is served family or buffet style, depending on the size of the group, at which time your guests can relax and enjoy their culinary achievements!

Mystery Box Cooking Challenge
As the class begins, the Chef will review kitchen safety and sanitation rules, and will divide the group into smaller teams. Each team will be provided with an identical mystery box of ingredients and given access to a pantry of staple items. Teams will have limited time to review the ingredients and plan a menu (without the help of cell phones!). The groups will then prepare a dish while our Chef and assistants answer questions and provide helpful hints and advice. When time is up, each team will present their dish to a panel of three judges (our chef and two from your organization), and will be judged on presentation, creativity, taste, and teamwork. Feel free to bring prizes for the winning group, or our Event Specialists can help coordinate special prizes as well (such as Frango Mints!). Once judging is complete, we will bring out what our Chef has prepared using ingredients from the mystery box. The meal may be served plated, family, or buffet style.

Cooking Demo
After the cocktail hour, guests will be seated and given a recipe packet to take home. After reviewing the menu, the Chef will host a cooking demonstration while guests dine on a served meal. Throughout the demonstration, the Chef will provide tips and helpful advice that any level cook can use, ensuring that each guest is ready to prepare the same meal on their own! 

To start planning a team building or group event, contact our Event Specialist!