We Burnt Our Fields; Now Let's Cultivate Our Crops: An Interview and Conversation with Kai Campbell

Kai Campbell left the world of Newark politics and development to try his hand at a venerable city tradition, food creation and service. Kai was no stranger to this area of work, coming from a long line and tradition of chefs and restaurant managers in his family. He has since flourished and is the impresario behind three newly minted Newark institutions: Walla, a South Asian style burger join; Bragman’s, a decades old Jewish deli in the South Ward; and the Yard, a soon to open outdoor eatery and bar. Kai comes on the pod to discuss how he came to this business, his hopes for the city, and what it will take for more restaurants to flourish.

Guest:

Kai Campbell—Kai Campbell, born and raised in the city of Newark, New Jersey, is what he self-describes as an envisionary, working in distressed urban development. First, as a municipal economist and later running his own shop, Kai has worked in the arena of economic development his entire career, helping to change culture and skylines in urban markets, especially Newark’s. Kai is behind Walla Food and Beverage Group, which oversees the Walla, Bragman’s Delicatessen, and the Yard (all Newark-based food establishments). Kai looks to fundamentally change the trajectory of Newark’s food and culture scene; he and his team aim to provide a standard of service typically not reserved for communities like Newark. He is also launching a new culture brand, Onomatopoeia, a social commentary and exercise platform. Kai, like his parents, is an activist, whose mediums of choice are economics and planning. He is also co-parenting two young girls in Newark.

Background & Articles:

  • Walla’s Official Page: here

  • Bragman’s Deli’s Official Facebook Page: here

  • The Yard’s Official Facebook Page: here

  • Article profiling the Yard: here

Quote: “And mingled with her disbelief and resentment was another feeling, a question. Why hadn’t she spoken that day? Why, in the face of Bellew’s ignorant hate and aversion, had she concealed her own origin? Why had she allowed him to make his assertions and express his misconceptions undisputed? Why, simply because of Clare Kendry, who had exposed her to such torment, had she failed to take up the defense of the race to which she belonged? ene asked these questions, felt them. They were, however, merely rhetorical, as she herself was well aware. She knew their answers, every one, and it was the same for them all. The sardony of it! She couldn't betray Clare, couldn't even run the risk of appearing to defend a people that were being maligned, for fear that that defence might in some infinitesimal degree lead the way to final discovery of her secret. She had to Clare Kendry a duty. She was bound to her by those very ties of race, which, for all her repudiation of them, Clare had been unable to completely sever.“ —Nella Larsen, Passing