The Restaurant Game

Abstract

The RESTAURANT GAME is a single-period simulation that provides students with the opportunity to plan and implement a strategy in a competitive environment. The game includes an auction in which players bid for raw materials. This auction can result in players’ making tactical changes to planned strategies in response to conditions created by the auction. After the players have obtained their necessary raw materials, they create meal menus that are the source of company profits. During the allocation process, integer programming is applied, and the instructor can demonstrate how mathematical modeling leads to optimal solutions. The RESTAURANT GAME provides a rich environment that can be explored in a single period or multiple periods according to the instructor’s goals.

Keywords

business game auction asset allocation strategic decisions tactical decisions

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