lastbite
GIVING BACK with THE
GIVING
KITCHEN From a COMMUNITY helping one family to SUPPORT for an entire industry
BY MO R GAN CART E R
The most important ingredient in a restaurant’s recipe for success is its people. Chefs, bartenders, and servers alike each play a role in crafting memorable experiences centered around food. Sadly, however, these workers often don’t receive the compensation and support they desperately need. Low wages, meager benefits, and inconsistent tips leave many on the edge of a financial crisis. And if the worst happens, most cannot afford to take the hit. Sickness and injury can lead to weeks out of work, leaving few options to stay afloat. This is where The Giving Kitchen comes in. Founded in 2013, The Giving Kitchen provides financial support to members of Atlanta’s restaurant community facing unanticipated crises. The nonprofit organization offers grants that assist with living expenses not covered by insurance, ranging from rent and utilities to even funeral expense reimbursement. The Giving Kitchen began when the Atlanta community rose up to support one of its own. In 2012, Chef Ryan Hidinger and his wife Jen embarked on their dream of opening a restaurant. Ryan, a veteran of Bacchanalia and Muss & Turner’s, had been hosting underground dinners with his wife since 2009, and had hoped to use the earnings to open his own restaurant named Staplehouse. But in December 2012, Ryan was diagnosed with late-stage gallbladder cancer and given six months to live. Everything came to a halt. As devastating as the news was, family and friends rooted in the restaurant community rose to the occasion. They planned a fundraising event, Team Hidi, which raised $275,000 to assist the couple with their medical bills. Overwhelmed by the amount of support, the couple had an epiphany: If the community could come together to help them in a crisis, what could it do for others? And so, together, they began The Giving Kitchen. The organization has grown beyond what the Hidingers could have ever imagined. To date, the charity has awarded over $750,000 in grant money to over 420 individuals and continues to impact the 31 counties in which they serve. Chris Pomar, a board member of The Giving Kitchen, isn’t surprised by its success at all. “Like most great ideas, The Giving Kitchen makes you wonder aloud, ‘How has no one ever thought of this before?’ It’s a 82
remarkably simple concept—to serve those who serve in restaurants and bars throughout our fine city.” Providing this level of support would be impossible without local Atlantans. The Giving Kitchen receives substantial funding from the community by way of partnerships with multiple restaurants and breweries, as well as donations from individuals and businesses. “The creation and growth of The Giving Kitchen embodies everything we value, specifically the sense of community,” states Bob Amick owner and founder of Concentrics Restaurants and an avid partner of The Giving Kitchen. “It has elevated and united the Atlanta food and beverage industry and we are honored to be a part of that.” Although Ryan passed in 2014, his legacy lives on. In addition to The Giving Kitchen, his wife Jen, with the help from her sister-in-law Kara and Chef Ryan Smith, Kara’s husband, continued his dream by opening Staplehouse in September 2015. The Americanthemed restaurant also supports the nonprofit; all of the restaurant’s profits after taxes go directly to The Giving Kitchen. The Giving Kitchen is always looking for volunteers ready to spread the word. From helping out at annual fundraising events such as Team Hidi—which brings together over 50 of Atlanta’s most celebrated restaurants and bars— to educating the restaurant community about their mission, volunteers are always needed. Thankfully, The Giving Kitchen is poised to impact Atlanta communities for some time, pressing forward with their purpose: to give back to those who give to us.