OUR
STORY
HOW IT STARTED
Born from a personal crisis, Giving Kitchen started as the fight for one life, and is now the fight for thousands of food service workers nationwide. We are building a food service community where each crisis is met with compassion and care.
At Giving Kitchen, we understand the challenges faced by food service workers in times of crisis. Our mission is to provide immediate financial aid and connect individuals with vital community resources. Together, we can create a supportive environment that uplifts those who serve us daily.
The Beginning: Chef Ryan Hidinger’s Diagnosis
Chef Ryan “Hidi” Hidinger had worked in kitchens across Atlanta, including Bacchanalia and Floataway Cafe. While working as a chef at Muss & Turner’s, he and his wife Jen, hosted a popular supper club, Prelude to Staplehouse, as a precursor to opening their dream restaurant.
In December 2012, when Ryan was diagnosed with stage-four terminal cancer, the owners of Muss & Turner’s (Ryan Turner, Todd Mussman & Chris Hall) felt called to support their employee in his time of need.
A Community Rallies Together
What began as a show of support from close friends in the industry quickly grew into something much larger. Within weeks, the Atlanta community rallied to host a fundraiser to cover Ryan and Jen’s mortgage and utilities while he underwent treatment. This gesture demonstrated the true power of unity and care in times of crisis. It was the community’s generosity at Team Hidi in 2013 that started it all.
Each year we celebrate food service workers at Giving Kitchen’s signature event, Team Hidi, to celebrate the community coming together and to honor Chef Hidi’s vision of an organization for everyone. Hundreds of chefs, bartenders and artisans come together and set aside competition for a day of service in support of the greater food service community.
Giving Kitchen Is Founded
On stage at the first Team Hidi, Chef Ryan told the crowd that his cancer diagnosis was, in fact, a gift because it brought people together. In the following days, around the table in the Hidinger’s home, a group of friends and colleagues realized they were witnessing something larger than a single family’s moment of need. Together, they defined the model for a nonprofit organization giving back to food service workers everywhere, and thus Giving Kitchen was born.
Many of the individuals in that room became members of the founding Board of Directors. And right away, the team began using the proceeds from their first fundraiser to help other food service workers experiencing crises.
The Legacy Continues
Today, Giving Kitchen remains guided by our founders. Thanks to the support of donors, partners, staff, and the board, the organization has helped thousands of food service workers in crisis, continuing to honor the community spirit that sparked its creation.
OUR VISION
We are a Food Service Community meeting crisis with compassion and care.
Our mission is to provide emergency assistance to food service workers through financial support and a network of community resources.
Giving Kitchen's Key Milestones: Expanding Our Mission Nationally
Team Members
Meet the team that makes up Giving Kitchen. These professionals dedicate their days to supporting food service workers across the nation during times of crisis.
