Creating food challenges is an art form that nobody has ever perfected or even tried to master, and there has never been any rules or guidelines established for restaurants wanting to create and host a food challenge to follow. Therefore, over 3,000 food challenges have been created by restaurants that were just hoping the challenge would work. Well I am by no means a master, but I have been doing and studying food challenges since March 19, 2010 and I have won over 170 food challenges in 7 different countries. More importantly, I spent over 3 months researching food challenges all over the world to come up with the over 3,000 existing food challenges that are in the FoodChallenges.com database. Every challenge was verified at the time, and I studied each one individually. During my studies, I have noticed many similarities between the different kinds of food challenges which were all created by totally different restaurants and management, and those similarities are reflected in these guidelines. These guidelines are based on each of the ten different challenge kinds:

Small Quantity Challenges – These challenges weigh less than 3.5lbs (1.5kg) and typically weigh between 3-3.25lbs (1.36-1.45kg). Anything less than that is too small and is not a challenge for most people. These challenges are almost never free, and award Wall Of Fame, a free shirt or hat, and/or a certificate.

Medium Quantity Challenges – These challenges weigh between 3.5-5lbs (1.5-2.25kg). In the United States, challenges weighing between 3.5-4.5lbs (1.5-2kg) are not free but they award gift cards equal to the challenge price along with Wall Of Fame. Some restaurants include a free shirt too. Because they are not free, the time limit is typically around 30 minutes and some go higher. In other countries where most challenges are 2 stars, these same challenges are typically free along with Wall Of Fame and sometimes a shirt, but the time limit is typically between 15 and 25 minutes. In cases where the meal is not free, the time limit is 30 to 60 minutes, with many of them allowing the full 1 hour. In the United States, challenges weighing between 4.5-5lbs (2-2.25kg) are typically free but the time limit is between 20 and 45 minutes. These challenges that are not free award gift cards equal to the challenge along with Wall Of Fame and a free shirt, and the time limit is between 45 and 60 minutes. In other countries, these challenges are definitely free and they include a 45 to 60 minute limit. Challenges of this size in other countries won’t work if the time limit is under thirty minutes.

Large Quantity Challenges – These challenges weigh between 5-6.25lbs (2.25-2.75kg). Challenges weighing between 5-5.75lbs (2.25-2.6kg) are free along with a free shirt and Wall Of Fame. Some restaurants award gift cards also. These challenges have time limits typically between 30 and 45 minutes, with some allowing 1 hour. Challenges weighing between 5.75-6.25lbs (2.6-2.75kg) are free along with a free shirt and Wall Of Fame. These challenges also include cash money or at least a high value gift card. These challenges have a time limit between 45 minutes and 1 hour and sometimes higher. If no additional prizes, the challenge price is cheap.

Very Large Quantity Challenges – These challenges weigh over 6.25lbs (2.75kg). 4 star challenges weigh between 6.25-8lbs (2.75-3.5kg). They all have a time limit over 45 minutes with most challenges allowing 1 hour or more. These award the meal free along with a shirt and Wall Of Fame. Successful challenges of this size award cash money and/or gift cards valued over $100 American dollars. Some challenges of this size have prizes valued up to $500 American dollars. Challenges without any extra prizes don’t get attempted. If creating a 5 star challenge, you may make up the rules because nobody other than professional eaters have a chance at beating your challenge. To find out why you should not create an unbeatable challenge, click here.

Quantity Record Challenges – A person starts the challenge off by eating as much of the food as possible which establishes the record quantity. The restaurant sometimes starts the challenge off by establishing a starting challenge to beat, which also establishes the quantity. The time limit is typically pretty relaxed because the goal is to beat the record, but varies among restaurants, and can be anywhere from 15 minutes to “one sitting.” The challenge gets tougher and the price typically increases as the challenge grows. Successful quantity record challenges award the meal free or at lease discounted to winners that break the record. Those challenges that only award Wall Of Fame and/or a shirt don’t get many attempts unless the meal is cheaper and delicious.

Speed Record Challenges – These challenges vary from 1 to 3 stars. If this kind of challenge is 4 or 5 stars, it is because it is combined with a very large quantity challenge and a person typically gets a large prize for beating the speed record. Most speed challenges are 1 or 2 stars in size, and the time limit continually gets smaller as the record decreases. To start off the challenge, restaurants typically have a high time limit (1 hour) just so that a person can win and get the record established. Successful speed record challenges award the meal free to winners or at least discounted along with Wall Of Fame and a free shirt or hat. Smaller speed record challenges have a higher success rate if the restaurant has a clear and visible leader-board posted up for all to see.

Speed Challenges – Speed challenges have a time limit less than 15 minutes and challenges smaller than 2.2lbs (1kg) sometimes have 5 minute limits. These challenges are 1 or 2 stars in size. 3 star challenges only have a chance of success in bigger cities in the United States because most people can’t eat that much food in 15 minutes. Since the challenge is smaller and the customer doesn’t get to enjoy the food, the meal is usually cheaper making it easier to give away free to winners. If not awarded free, gift cards equal to the cost are awarded along with a shirt & Wall Of Fame. In other smaller countries, 2 star challenges are definitely free.

Small Spicy Challenges – Over 1/2 of small spicy challenges are wing challenges consisting of 6 to 18 wings depending on the restaurant. Spicy burgers, curries, and BBQ sandwiches usually weigh around 3/4lbs (.35kg). These challenges typically have time limits under 20 minutes, and 6 wing challenges sometimes have 5 minute limits. Since the challenge portions are smaller, the prices are usually less than quantity challenges. Challenges that do not allow drinks and have 5 minute “afterburn” periods award the meal free and usually Wall Of Fame and a shirt. Some restaurants even award a smaller gift card for the customer to use later. Restaurants with relaxed rules that do not have a time limit or “afterburn” only award a free shirt and/or Wall Of Fame. Some restaurants provide milk or ice cream to customers afterwards for “free” and others price it separately.

Medium Spicy Challenges – These challenges are typically between 3-4.5lbs (1.36-2kg). These challenges are rare, but the time limit is typically between 30 and 60 minutes, and customers are allowed to at least drink water. Some restaurants allow milk and fatty dairy drinks too because the goal is to actually finish the meal. To be successful, these challenges award the meal free along with a significant additional prize such as cash or gift cards. Challenges only awarded free rarely get attempted because risk definitely isn’t worth the reward.

Team Challenges – 2 person team challenges typically weigh between 10-12lbs (4.5-5.5kg). There are some challenges weighing 8-10lbs (3.64-4.54kg) and some that weigh 12-15lbs (5.45-6.8kg), but most are 10-12lbs. There are some team pizza challenges allowing 4-7 teammates which are all much larger, averaging around 4-5lbs (1.82-2.25kg) per eater. 2 person challenges under 10lbs usually have a time limit of 30 minutes. 2 person challenges over 10lbs have a time limit averaging 45 to 60 minutes. 2 person team challenges over 10lbs always award the meal free along with shirts and Wall Of Fame, and some even award additional cash and gift cards. Large team challenges averaging 4-5lbs per eater typically just award the meal free to winning teams and there is usually a shorter time limit when more people are involved. Extra large team challenges averaging over 5lbs per eater usually have a significant cash prize awarded to the winning teams, and therefore get more attempts.

As with everything in life, there are always exceptions to the rules. Exceptions to these rules are usually easier to eat foods such as burrito challenges and ice cream challenges. A 5lb (2.25kg) burrito can be eaten much faster than a 5lb burger, and sometimes even a 3lb burger for that matter, because they require much less chewing. Also, geographic location plays a big factor in the sizes of time limits of challenges too, keep that in mind too before declaring a challenge an “exception” to the rule. These guidelines are based off the similarities between all of the different similar kinds of challenges. Feel free to check out existing challenges to see how accurate these guidelines are. Using these rules will give your challenge a much higher chance for success. All restaurants are different though, so definitely don’t feel you have to follow every single guideline exactly.

To go back and view other Creating A Challenge articles, click here.