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APATT is hitting the road thanks to a sizable check from The Kelly Clarkson Show.
A Place at the Table has gone viral—again. And this time, the buzz comes with plans for a new food truck launching later this year expanding the uberpopular pay-what-you-can-cafe’s reach. Literally.
The meals on wheels are thanks to the contribution of an unexpected donor: singer-songwriter Kelly Clarkson (!). On a third The Kelly Clarkson Show appearance in January, APATT Executive Director Maggie Kane received a surprise $100,000 check to expand the nonprofit—which Clarkson had also already dubbed one of her 12 Good Neighbor of the Year nominees early last year.
With the surging demand for its brick-and-mortar, Kane sees the food truck as a natural next step. “We’ve been dreaming of what’s next for A Place at the Table, and at West Hargett Street we are at capacity,” she says of the 200 to 300 people the cafe feeds per day. “We’re serving more and more people every single day than we ever thought was possible—but, at the same time, there are communities who can’t get to A Place At The Table, so how do we reach those communities?”
Answering the call for its benevolent biscuit sandwiches and quick-service food, the truck hopes to extend its reach to many communities all over, says Kane, with the capability of feeding an additional 200 people a day. And partnerships with organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club will further help APATT increase revenue and expand into the catering market.
Clearly, the communal cafe’s reach speaks for itself. Its big win didn’t come through an application or lottery—but was found and selected by The Kelly Clarkson Show and nabbed the final win thanks to community votes. And Kane didn’t learn of the recognition until the show “randomly reached out” to MIX 101.5 to break the news.
“It just speaks so highly of what this community has done and how it’s supported [us],” reflects Kane. “It’s really reaffirming overall that this community has our back and really values A Place at the Table—and loves this mission and the work we do.” Who knew an American Idol icon would play such a pivotal role in keeping Raleigh fed?! tableraleigh.org
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