Raleigh restaurant feeds the hungry while giving back to the community

Imagine walking into a restaurant with only $5 in your pocket to feed your entire family.

Customers who dine at A Place at the Table in downtown Raleigh do not have that problem because the restaurant is a pay-what-you-can establishment.

“We want to be that place where all are welcome to get a good, affordable meal," said Maggie Kane, executive director and founder of the restaurant.

A Place at the Table has been a huge success since it opened in January 2018, but it almost did not happen because Kane could not find a landlord that believed in her vision.

“The main misconception was that there would be people out here, homeless people with all their bags and shopping trolleys and all of that and I think that's one of the best things that we've been able to achieve is to prove that, that is not the case out here," said Josh Hancock, the restaurant's general manager.

Kane's passion for helping those who are homeless is not a new concept for Kane and her staff.

“I worked with people experiencing homelessness and I learned their stories and I got to know them and they became some of my greatest friends," Kane said. "And I saw that there was this disconnect between people with means and people without means, and I wanted to create a place where all people could come together.”

The restaurant is full of dedicated staffers who volunteer their time to give back.

“I’m really proud that this community has made this happen, and people have taken part in the way they could whether it's through dining, donating, or volunteering," Kane said. "This community has really supported A Place at the Table.”

Zinneth Barbee is one of many volunteers who enjoys giving back to his community. He is retired and would not want to spend his free time doing anything else.

“I got interested in the more people side of things," Barbee said. "I had careers that were more technical and affected people, but once I retired I was more conscious of how people were affected by things I used to do."

Community is at the center of the whole operation.

There is even a community table inside where it is encouraged for customers to sit with strangers and get to know one another, because at the end of the day everyone has their place at the table.

Kane said she hopes to expand her kitchen in the near future to be able to serve more members of the community.