What does it take to build a restaurant where everyone has a seat at the table, no matter what’s in their wallet? In this episode of Best Ever, Scott sits down with Maggie Kane, founder and executive director of A Place at the Table, Raleigh’s first pay-what-you-can nonprofit café. Maggie shares how a conversation at a Golden Corral sparked a radical vision for dignity, choice, and community and how she turned that vision into a beloved downtown institution. They talk about what it means to lead with empathy, why asking for help is a superpower, and the powerful self-management habits that help Maggie show up with purpose and positivity day after day.
Listen here:
Show Resources:
About Maggie Kane:
Explore A Place at the Table: tableraleigh.org | @tableraleighMaggie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggie-kane-161311a9/Follow Maggie on Instagram: @table_magsLearn about One World Everybody Eats: oneworldeverybodyeats.orgMentor café in Boone, NC: farmcafe.org
Time Stamps:
(01:48) The A Place at the Table Experience(07:10) The Golden Corral Story That Changed Everything(10:38) Starting a Restaurant Without Industry Experience(21:11) Why the “Tip” at Table Is a Donation(23:56) How 150 Volunteers a Day Keep the Café Running(26:20) Creating Consistency with a Volunteer Workforce(33:55) Maggie’s Daily Routines for Energy and Impact(36:45) Hiking the Camino and Taking Sabbaticals(47:52) The Power of Asking for Help and Building Community(50:53) What It Really Means to Love People Well
Show Transcript:
