Staplehouse had been a sensation right out of the gate when it opened in late 2015. Bon Appétit called it the best new restaurant in America, the James Beard Foundation heralded it, the local press said it opened a new chapter in Atlanta dining. “Complete and utter inundation” is how Jen described the first two years in business as national media and guests packed into the century-old brick building in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward. Diners snapped up reservations within minutes of their release online. Everyone loved Smith’s cooking — as homey and sexy and open-minded as Atlanta itself. But what really pushed this small restaurant into the spotlight was its inspiring origin story and its unusual symbiosis with a nonprofit formed to help food service workers in crisis called Giving Kitchen.
