Metro Atlanta restaurateur Ryan Turner shared stories with the Greater Perimeter Chamber about the Giving Kitchen, a nonprofit he co-founded after a friend, chef Ryan Hidinger was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Turner, the co-founder and partner of Unsukay Concepts, spoke at the chamber’s Signature Luncheon on Aug. 20. Unsukay Concepts is the parent company for the restaurants Muss & Turner’s, Eleanor’s, Local Three Kitchen & Bar, Warhorse Investments, Seahorse Advisors, Roshambo and MTH Pizza in metro Atlanta.
Turner shared with the luncheon attendees that he realized over the years how Hidinger’s mindset was his true gift. Even in the face of death, he exhibited dignity. Turner told the crowd Hidinger exhibited three essential mindsets.
Related stories:
• Giving Kitchen celebrates record-breaking impact in third quarter
• Giving Kitchen celebrates 10 years and new COO
• Giving Kitchen ramps up aid as pandemic rocks food service industry
• Staplehouse will offer delicious food, support for those in need
The first mindset was acceptance. Hidinger never fought his diagnosis, accepting it and focusing on what he could control. The second mindset was vulnerability. Hidinger let people in, admitting he was scared, uncertain, and in pain. By receiving them, he gave others purpose. The third mindset was agency. He refused victimhood and despair. He stayed engaged in life, dreaming, building, and showing up through the pain.
His journey coincided with the beginning of the Giving Kitchen in December 2012 when Hidinger received a diagnosis of stage four gall bladder cancer, which had spread throughout his body.
The day after Christmas, Turner met with Hidinger and his wife, Jen, to ask if he and others could help. The Hidinger accepted the help, leading Turner to call friends at 50 restaurants. That led to the first “Team Hidi” event a month later, with 1,000 people attending to raise money for the couple.
Turner said something in Hidinger changed that night at the fundraiser.
“He took the stage that night, and you could hear a pin drop. There wasn’t a dry eye in the audience,” Turner said. “This man, who a month previously had been told that he had a five percent chance of living, stood in front of this audience and declared his diagnosis of cancer a gift.”
In four weeks, the restaurant industry had raised $275,000 for Ryan and Jen.
Turner convinced Hidinger him they needed to open his dream restaurant, Staplehouse. Turner suggested that Hidinger’s restaurant might give back to the community that had lifted them up in their time of need.
At the same time, the Hidinger realized they had more money than they needed, so they started giving some of it to restaurant workers in the community who needed help. With Turner’s help, a 501(3)(c) nonprofit was formed. Giving Kitchen was officially formed on June 1, 2013.
Crowdfunding and a bank loan guaranteed by eight individuals enabled the restaurant to move forward. Turner was able to show Hidinger a commitment letter from the bank for the loan during their last visit in January 2013, shortly before Hidinger died.
The Giving Kitchen gives more than $2 million annually to what Turner called “great causes.”
“We help food service workers. We help them through hardship, unanticipated hardship, or crisis. We help restaurant workers, food truck workers, the folks that are helping us here today, cafeteria workers, concession workers, anyone in food service,” Turner said.
If someone has an illness, injury, housing disaster, or death of a family member, they qualify. Turner said the average grant is approximately $2,000.
As most people in the industry aren’t on salaries, if they don’t work, they don’t get paid. Turner said one situation can put them into a negative spiral from which they might not recover.
Since 2013, Giving Kitchen has served more than 30,000 people and awarded more than $16 million to restaurant workers.
