SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Sacramento Kings and Delta Dental of California and Affiliates (Delta Dental) celebrated six local small businesses following the inaugural season of Tip Off Tastes, a program spotlighting select Sacramento culinary entrepreneurs at Golden 1 Center.

Presented by Delta Dental, Tip Off Tastes brought local restaurants and chefs into the arena through pop-up concessions during Kings home games, showcasing the region's diverse flavors and giving small business owners a larger platform to connect with the community.

"Small businesses are the backbone of our communities and driving force behind local culture and economic strength," said Brian Sherman, Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer at Delta Dental of California and Affiliates. "Our partnership with the Sacramento Kings allows us to champion and connect with the entrepreneurs shaping Sacramento's identity while supporting the health and well-being of the communities we serve."

"Food is deeply woven into the fabric of Sacramento's community, and the Kings are always looking for meaningful ways to elevate the small businesses that help define it," said Sacramento Kings President of Business Operations John Rinehart. "Through our partnership with Delta Dental, we've been able to build on the success of programs like Kings Pop-Up Kitchen and Capitalize: Food, creating new opportunities to spotlight local culinary talent and deliver unique experiences for our fans."

As part of the Tip Off Tastes celebration, participating restaurants – Creole Soul, Maria's Paella, Mecha Mucho, Séka Hills, Spoon and Fork, and Tai Pan – were recognized for their contributions to the program. Each received a customized Kings jersey and a financial contribution from Delta Dental to support continued growth and innovation.

"After our pop-up at Golden 1 Center, our phone was ringing nonstop, and we had to increase our production from 3,000 empanadas a week to 5,000 empanadas a week. It's all because of Tip Off Tastes," said Maria Perez of Maria's Paella. "With this gift from Delta Dental, I hope to return to Spain to work on a new paella recipe – and maybe even get a bigger empanada machine, to help us feed all of our new customers!"

The program reflects the Kings and Delta Dental's shared commitment to uplifting small businesses, celebrating cultural diversity, and creating meaningful community impact through food and storytelling.

About Delta Dental of California and Affiliates

Since 1955, Delta Dental of California and Affiliates has offered comprehensive, high-quality oral health care coverage to millions of enrollees and built the strongest network of dental providers in the country. The Delta Dental of California enterprise includes its affiliates Delta Dental Insurance Company, Delta Dental of Pennsylvania, Delta Dental of New York, Inc., as well as the national DeltaCare USA network, and provides dental benefits to more than 27 million people across 15 states and the District of Columbia*. All are members of the Delta Dental Plans Association based in Chicago, Illinois, the not-for-profit national association that through a national network of Delta Dental companies collectively covers millions of people nationwide. Delta Dental is a registered trademark of Delta Dental Plans Association. For more information about Delta Dental of California and Affiliates, please visit www.deltadentalins.com.

*Delta Dental of California's operating areas encompass Alabama, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Media Contacts: 

Kinga Skowronek
Public Relations Manager at Delta Dental of California and Affiliates
kskowronek@delta.org
415-975-8272

Kirsten Curlee
Sacramento Kings Coordinator, Corporate Communications
kcurlee@kings.com

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SOURCE Delta Dental of California