Hall of Fame

Maggie Kane is the Founder and Executive Director of A Place at the Table, Raleigh’s first pay-what-you-can restaurant.

A Place at the Table provides community and good food for all, regardless of means. Open for breakfast and lunch in downtown Raleigh, the café serves hundreds of dignified meals to people who can’t afford it.

Maggie was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, attending North Ridge Elementary, West Millbrook Middle School, and Wakefield High School, before graduating from North Carolina State University.

“People are my passion, so in everything I did, I wanted to make sure people felt loved and cared for.”

Maggie founded A Place at the Table in January of 2015 after many years of volunteering at soup kitchens as a child and working in homelessness and poverty in college.  Befriending many people living in the margins, she knew something needed to be done. She has a heart to serve, a desire to always be inclusive, and a passion for loving people. Through her work with people on the streets, she realized the power of community, the importance of dignity, and the beauty in bringing people together around food.

“Be present with people. We all want to be seen, we all want to be heard, we all want to have value, and we all want to hear and see and love other people too.”

Maggie still lives in Raleigh, loves to run, and eats a large amount of peanut butter. She loves hiking in the mountains, and all things sunflowers. In her spare time, you’ll find her watching movies at the theaters in those big comfy chairs, skydiving, or breaking away for a quick 2-day weekend trip.

Maggie Kane was inducted into the Wake County Public School System Hall of Fame in 2020.