The visionary journey of Second Harvest Food Bank’s Triad Community Kitchen (TCK) continues as plans unfold to open a second restaurant, adding Providence Kitchen’s twist on casual farm-to-fork cuisine to the vibrant, culinary landscape of downtown Winston-Salem. BB&T is the lead supporter behind the “dining for a cause” venture set to open this spring and the café-style eatery will be located on the first floor of BB&T’s corporate headquarters at 200 West 2nd Street.

“BB&T is a long-term, generous supporter of Second Harvest Food Bank and our Triad Community Kitchen (TCK) Culinary and Life Skills Training and Hospitality Residency Programs,” said Clyde W. Fitzgerald, Jr., CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC. “BB&T’s executive management team and associates consistently give their time, talents and resources to help Second Harvest Food Bank feed our community. The bank’s compassionate investment in this new partnership is further evidence of BB&T’s commitment to building stronger communities.”

“The Second Harvest Food Bank does so much to help our neighbors in need and we are thrilled and honored to provide this opportunity to grow and expand through this new Providence Kitchen location,” said Cantey Alexander, BB&T Triad Regional President. “Their mission to make certain no one goes hungry is in our community matches up perfectly with our mission to make the world a better place to live. Not only that, we believe everyone who is part of the Winston-Salem downtown community, including our associates, will enjoy this great new place to enjoy breakfast or lunch.”

Chef Jeff Bacon, well-known in the local restaurant scene for his culinary talent, generosity and passionate leadership of Second Harvest’s TCK/Providence programs, is overseeing the project development.

“BB&T saw the need for a dining outlet in their headquarters that would be accessible to their associates and the greater Winston-Salem Community and saw in TCK-Providence a partner that doubles the return, serving great food and an important mission,” said Bacon, an ACF Certified Executive Chef, member of the American Academy of Chefs and Executive Director of Triad Community Kitchen and Providence.

With the opening of Providence Kitchen this coming spring, TCK’s Hospitality Residency will expand from its start at Providence Restaurant & Catering to give TCK graduates more opportunities to earn while they learn alongside seasoned professionals in preparation for moving on to leadership roles in the food service and hospitality industries.

BB&T’s significant investment will take the new project to completion, but runway funds will be needed as Providence Kitchen gets underway. Stay tuned for details about a Kickstarter campaign and contact Heather Martin, Director of Finance and Development for TCK/P if you want to learn more or donate to the project.

About Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC
Second Harvest Food Bank is the lead agency and advocate addressing hunger and its causes across Northwest North Carolina. We are the backbone organization serving a network of more than 470 human service programs across 18 counties to ensure a strong local response to the immediate needs of our neighbors for food assistance. Our core program is a critical source of healthy food for these on-the-ground partners providing meals and groceries for families in their community. Additional resources for our partners include a micro grants program, nutrition education services, food stamp outreach services and tools for effective advocacy. To address deeply concerning, persistent childhood hunger in our communities, Second Harvest strategically partners with local schools and agencies to get nutritious food to kids who need it most through our BackPack, Kids Cafe, School Pantry and Summer Meal Programs. Second Harvest’s work to address systemic issues of poverty and hunger includes our Triad Community Kitchen (TCK) Culinary and Life Skills Training and Hospitality Residency Programs; collaborative, systems change work, including Imagine Forsyth; programs to positively impact community health and wellness; and ardent advocacy for change…so that no one goes hungry and our communities can thrive.

About BB&T
BB&T is one of the largest financial services holding companies in the U.S. with $220.3 billion in assets and market capitalization of $37.0 billion as of September 30, 2017. Building on a long tradition of excellence in community banking, BB&T offers a wide range of financial services including retail and commercial banking, investments, insurance, wealth management, asset management, mortgage, corporate banking, capital markets and specialized lending. Based in Winston-Salem, N.C., BB&T operates over 2,100 financial centers in 15 states and Washington, D.C. A Fortune 500 company, BB&T is consistently recognized for outstanding client service by Greenwich Associates for small business and middle market banking. More information about BB&T and its full line of products and services is available at BBT.com.