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Dine out for Food Service Workers

Dining with Gratitude

Server hands a plate to a guest at a restaurant

Join Us for Dining With Gratitude

Dining with Gratitude is how Giving Kitchen partners with restaurants and other food service providers in communities around the country.
This program is about more than just fundraising. It’s about the connection between restaurants and their guests, between communities and the people who serve them, and between the moments of generosity and the real-world impact they create.

Giving Kitchen continues to meet growing demand from food service workers facing unexpected crises and Dining with Gratitude is evolving to meet the moment. What was once a single month of coordinated fundraising is becoming a year-round opportunity for restaurant partners to engage their communities in ways that feel authentic, flexible, and aligned with how you already do business. All in service of creating deeper engagement and broader awareness for the people behind the counter.

There is no single “right” way to participate. The most effective partnerships are the ones that reflect the business, their guests, and the community it serves. The most impactful partnerships are the ones that feel true to who you are. Our role is to support, amplify, and help translate that engagement into stability for food service workers when they need it most.

Need fundraising ideas?

A fundraising promotion can be engineered to drive sales, engage employees and invite guests to donate to receive something in return. Here are just a few ways our partners have raised funds in the past:

Guests gather around the table for Friendsgiving at Maxwell's Trading

Events

Events don’t have to be frequent to be meaningful. A thoughtfully curated moment creates lasting impact.

Maxwell’s Trading (Chicago, IL) approached Dining with Gratitude by leaning fully into hospitality as an experience. Their Friendsgiving event transformed a seasonal gathering into a collaborative, family-style dinner featuring chefs from across Chicago’s food community. A single night brought together chefs and guests and around a menu that celebrated creativity, generosity, and the spirit of the season. Giving Kitchen naturally fit into the story as a cause aligned with why people gather around a table in the first place.

Big Sky Spritzer and Blood Orange Vanilla Creme, two cocktails that Ted's Montana Grill used to fundraise for Giving Kitchen

Special Menu Items

When purpose is built into core offerings, participation becomes effortless while rallying enthusiasm in guests and team alike.

Ted’s Montana Grill (Atlanta, GA) took a different approach-embedding Dining with Gratitude directly into the guest experience through a limited-time cocktail offering. Ted’s took it upon themselves to organize a partnership with Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Manin Syrups, and Mount Gay Rum introducing two Giving Kitchen-branded cocktails celebrating fall flavors and a shared mission. Using this campaign modelon a seasonal basis Ted’s Montana Grill has raised over $60,000 in 2 years.

This model works because it meets guests where they are. Ordering a drink became an easy, tangible way to participate, while the program scaled naturally across locations.

Flyer with a photo of a brownie promoting Cotton Patch Café's commitment to give $1 from every dessert sold to Giving Kitchen

Dessert Promotion

Clear, accessible asks can mobilize entire communities when paired with trust and transparency.

Cotton Patch Cafe (Dallas, TX) demonstrated the power of consistency through a straightforward commitment: $1 from every dessert sold over 30 days would support Giving Kitchen. Simple by design, the campaign invited guests to participate without friction. Over the course of the campaign, Cotton Patch Cafe raised more than $51,000, translating directly into housing stability and utility assistance for food service workers in crisis.

This is a great example of a restaurant partner who knew their audience – a family going out to eat at their favorite restaurant.

Help Us Help Food Service Workers

Use the form below to reach out to our team with any questions or updates about your upcoming fundraiser. We appreciate your support of food service workers in crisis.

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Please let us know what your fundraising plans are or what you'd like to learn more about. A member of our team will reach out shortly with more information.

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