The Community Garden Kitchen (CGK) began in 2014 and was born out of a group discussion on hunger and how food insecurity was affecting McKinney residents. Discovering there were no options in Collin County for free freshly prepared meals, the group Bible study members decided to create a place where people could experience restaurant-style dining at no charge and no questions asked.
After eight years of fundraising, the 4,800 square foot facility was built on land provided by the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas and includes a professional kitchen and dining room that can serve 118 people. Completely debt free, CGK also boasts a quarter-acre garden that supplies the restaurant with fruit, vegetables, herbs, and fresh flowers for the tabletops. The garden produced over 1,100 pounds of food in 2023 and greatly contributed to the fresh aspect of the menu.
The restaurant is open to anyone and upon entering, will be greeted by a volunteer hostess who escorts them to a table. Diners are offered menus and can experience the joy of selecting tasty desserts from the sweets cart that is wheeled through the dining room. Community Garden Kitchen is open Monday through Thursday from 6 to 8PM and is operated by a full-time professional chef and Director of Operations and a team of volunteers to provide the personal service and experience that every restaurant guest deserves. CGK President Angel Poen says that the success of the dining experience for 200 people per night is dependent on several teams of volunteers that begin early in the day preparing for the evening meal. Sorting donations provided by partners through North Texas Food Bank, prepping the food, setting the serving line, and preparing the dining room requires many hands. CGK coordinates 180 volunteers per week serving 3-hour shifts.
According to Mrs. Poen, the vision is to be a center of hope and compassion, ensuring that no one in our community need suffer the fear and distress of food insecurity. “We serve veterans, families, single-parent families, senior citizens, and people who live paycheck to paycheck and are being crushed by inflation”. While serving meals to those in 40 different zip codes, CGK also contributed 68 tons of food to local food banks, created a sack lunch program providing 100 sack lunches for day laborers, the homeless, and food pantries. For 2025, Community Garden Kitchen is establishing a trade program for students aging out of the foster care system to experience the hospitality industry as paid interns. Angela says, “We hope to pay them wages while they are working and learning and to make sure they know they have options”.
Outside of serving more than 44,000 meals per year, Community Garden Kitchen was awarded the 2024 Texas Restaurant Association Community Impact Award and the 2024 North Texas Food Bank Garden Partner Award. CGK efforts are supported by residents, community and business members, and corporations. Fundraising events occur throughout the year and are open to the public.
Upcoming CGK events; Sponsorship opportunities available.
· 9th Annual Kitchen Classic on October 14, 2024. Four-person scramble at Heritage Ranch Golf Country Club.
· Pickleball Tournament on March 1, 2025. Courts of Mckinney, 3253 Alma Road, Mckinney
· May 3, 2025 2nd Annual Casino Night
For donor, event, and volunteer information, visit communitygardenkitchen.org