On Sunday, Nov. 1, the floor of State Farm Arena will be set with dinner tables instead of a basketball court. Giving Kitchen is bringing back Atlanta Hawks Forkside Seats fueled by Georgia Natural Gas for a second year, turning the arena into what organizers expect to be Atlanta's largest dining room for one night.
Giving Kitchen is the James Beard Award-winning nonprofit that supports food service workers facing crisis. Every ticket to Forkside Seats directly supports that mission.
A "True to Atlanta" menu
This year's theme is "True to Atlanta," celebrating generations of the city's food scene by bringing established culinary institutions and emerging talents together around one table. More than 30 Atlanta restaurants, chefs, bartenders and beverage partners are taking part.
Allison Padilla-Goodman, Giving Kitchen's CEO, called the event a love letter to the city's food scene and to the Southern hospitality that makes this community special.
The night opens with a cocktail hour of handcrafted drinks, wines and bites. Contributors include Bankhead Seafood, Cosm, Holeman & Finch, Ruki's Kitchen, Tandoori Pizza & Wing Co., Woody's and Your 3rd Spot, among others.
Four courses on the arena floor
Dinner follows as a four-course meal served right on the floor. Bread service comes from Mary Mac's Tea Room and Bomb Biscuits. Chef G. Garvin, the arena's chief culinary officer, is in charge of the salad course.
The main course will feature creations from chefs representing a long list of Atlanta restaurants: Canoe, The Deer and The Dove, The Iberian Pig, Kamayan ATL, Local Three Kitchen & Bar, Nakato Japanese Restaurant, Ruth's Chris, Southern National, Table & Main, and Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours.
Dessert is a three-way handoff between Cake Pharmacy, Sweet Auburn Bread Company and The Chai Box. After the meal, the evening continues with music and a live auction benefiting Giving Kitchen.
What the money does
Since 2013, Giving Kitchen has assisted more than 41,000 food service workers, including more than 8,000 children in their households, and has provided more than $17 million in financial assistance. Today its support reaches workers in all 50 states.
For downtown, it is a fitting use of the arena: one night where the city's food and hospitality community sits down together on a court built for game nights, with the money raised going back to the people who keep Atlanta's kitchens, bars and dining rooms running.
Source: Atlanta Daily World, September 10, 2026.
