One Iconic Atlanta Night: Atlanta Hawks Forkside Seats 2026

On Sunday, November 1, the Atlanta Hawks cleared the court at State Farm Arena and Atlanta pulled up a chair. More than 500 guests sat down to dinner on the arena floor for Forkside Seats, fueled by Georgia Natural Gas, benefiting Giving Kitchen. Together, you raised more than $475,000 for food service workers in crisis.

We are so grateful. To the Hawks and State Farm Arena for opening their home to us again. To the chefs, bartenders and partners who gave their time and talent. To the volunteers who made every minute run. And to every guest who showed up for the people behind Atlanta’s hospitality. Thank you.

The night was True to Atlanta from start to finish: great food, big generosity and a city that takes care of its own.

Over $475,000 Raised for food service workers in crisis

• 500+ guests
• 80 volunteers
• 40 true to Atlanta food & beverage partners in lounges
• 5,270 bites & sips
• 18 chef-crafted dishes on the arena floor

With one mission to help food service workers in crisis

The evening began in two lounges, where True to Atlanta food and beverage partners turned the arena into a tasting tour of the city. VIP guests arrived at 6:00 p.m., reserved guests at 6:30, and together they worked through 5,270 bites and sips before dinner.

The doors to the arena floor opened on 58 tables set at center court. Host Chef G. Garvin, Chief Culinary Officer for State Farm Arena and the Atlanta Hawks, welcomed guests and asked the room to thank the servers, cooks, dishwashers and everyone behind the scenes. Those are the people Giving Kitchen exists to support.

Twelve Atlanta restaurants cooked the main course, each one plating for their own section of the floor. Together they reflected what Giving Kitchen’s CEO, Allison Padilla-Goodman, called the many food scenes that make up this city: different neighborhoods, traditions and cultures at one table.

Thank you to these chefs and their teams, who left their own kitchens on a Sunday night to cook for Atlanta.

Since our founding, Giving Kitchen has helped more than 42,000 food service workers across all 50 states. That’s enough people to fill State Farm Arena twice. We recently awarded our $18 millionth dollar in financial assistance to a Georgia line cook recovering from a collapsed lung, with two young children at home.

Jen Hidinger-Kendrick, one of Giving Kitchen’s founders, shared the story of Karoline Jones, a bartender since she was 18. After an accident left her unable to work, Karoline faced a $20,000 surgery with no health insurance and no paycheck. Giving Kitchen helped her access care and covered her rent while she recovered. When she got the call, she said, she broke down in happy tears because somebody had her back. Karoline, thank you for trusting us and for letting Atlanta hear your story.

Jen also took the room back nearly 14 years, to when her husband, Chef Ryan Hidinger, was diagnosed with cancer. Atlanta’s chefs, bartenders and neighbors showed up for them. That love became Giving Kitchen, and the same spirit filled the arena on Sunday night.

We were also proud to announce Goods That Give, our new cause-marketing program. Creature Comforts Brewing Company is the founding partner and will donate 5% of Classic City Lager sales revenue in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee to Giving Kitchen. Thank you to Fenwick Broyard and the whole Creature Comforts team for leading the way.

Emcee Mike Jordan and auctioneer Cyclone Covey led the bidding on five live auction lots you couldn’t find anywhere else:

1. Two seats to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on New Year’s Day, with a pregame party at STATS Brewpub and a hotel stay
2. Steve Koonin’s personal seats for Olivia Rodrigo at State Farm Arena
3. The New South Table, a dinner for twelve from Chef Robert Butts and the New South Collective
4. Steve Koonin’s personal seats for Rush at State Farm Arena
5. A private wine dinner at Cooks & Soldiers with CJ McCollum and his McCollum Family Vineyard wines

Every winning bidder also took home a bottle of wine from McCollum Family Vineyard, signed by Atlanta Hawks star CJ McCollum.

Thank you to Steve Koonin, CJ McCollum, the Peach Bowl, the New South Collective, Cooks & Soldiers, Legacy Ventures, and every donor who made these experiences possible.

Then the room raised their paddles simply to give. Every gift, at every level, helps a food service worker keep food on the table, stay in their home, keep the lights on or see a doctor. Thank you to everyone who raised a paddle, bid on the mobile auction or dropped a program in the basket on the way out.

A night like this takes a whole city. Our deepest thanks to:

• The Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena, and CEO Steve Koonin, for welcoming Giving Kitchen into Atlanta’s House for a second year
• Georgia Natural Gas, our presenting sponsor, and Chris Turner for joining us on stage
• Our sponsors: Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena, Popmenu, Global Payments, Perrin Automotive, KIA, Gordon Food Service, Georgia-Pacific, Taft, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Creature Comforts Brewing Co., Aperol, Minhwa Spirits, The Wine Group, Hennessy, Beautiful Briny Sea, Signia by Hilton, Tilit, Classic Tents & Events, and Atlanta Party Rentals
• Our Host Chef, Chef G. Garvin, and the Levy Restaurants culinary team at State Farm Arena
• Our 12 dinner restaurants and every food, beverage, bread and dessert partner, who gave their time, talent and hospitality
• NFA Burger and Breadwinner Cafe & Bakery, who fed our chefs, partners, volunteers and staff at family meal
• Mike Jordan, our emcee, and Cyclone Covey, our auctioneer
• Our 80 volunteers, who made every moment run smoothly
• The Giving Kitchen Board of Directors and staff, who work every day to make sure no food service worker faces crisis alone
• Every guest, bidder and donor. You showed up for Atlanta’s food service workers, and you showed out.