When it comes to healthy food, Nate Campbell had an advantage growing up that most kids don’t: he didn’t like fast food.
“I was blessed to be a kid who didn’t like McDonald’s,” he said.
That, combined with growing up in a family of cooks and caterers, has always made a kitchen a comfortable place for him where he can experiment with different foods, flavors, and dishes. And now, he can share some of his favorites with the community through his new restaurant in the Flint Farmers’ Market, 810 Tings.
Campbell opened his stall in the Market this month. His menu features Cajun Caribbean fusion quickserve food, including jerk chicken, cajun chicken, jerk mushrooms, and ginger garlic short rib. Patrons pick a protein, a base of either coconut rice or grits, and then add toppings that include peas, red beans, sauteed onions, fried plantains, and other options.
“I really want to bring flavors here that aren’t around the area,” Campbell said. “I feel like a lot of times people will jump to a few staple items that are everywhere, like chicken wings or soul food or tacos. So I just wanted to bring something around that was totally different and refreshing and healthy.”
Campbell estimates he’s been in or around kitchens for nearly 20 years now. Growing up, his godmother ran a catering business in Chicago that specialized in Jamaican flavors, and he spent summers working with her as her prep cook. His grandmother was also a caterer when he was a kid and he learned from her as well.
He’s also no stranger to the Flint Farmers’ Market. Campbell previously worked in the Heartwood stall in the Market operated by Flint Social Club. Flint Social Club is a nonprofit organization founded by Chef Tony Vu and intended to give local cooks and food-based businesses the opportunity to learn and grow their concepts.
Heartwood moved out of the market when Flint Social Club opened a new location downtown, but 810 Tings is located just a few feet from Heartwood’s old location. His experiences with Flint Social Club, and the community he found there, helped him gain the confidence to start his own venture.
“It’s a blessing because Flint Social Club is truly a community,” he said. “I used to deal with issues of not being so confident. I always knew I could cook, but I didn’t know if I would be able to run and own a business. So I think being around the Market and being around Flint Social Club, it helped me with the confidence and they pushed me to achieve the goals that I told them I wanted to do. I don’t think it (his new business) would be possible without the community that the Flint scene has right now in the culinary aspect. I’m grateful for how it’s growing and how everyone’s growing together and not in competition.”
Campbell is also a familiar name in Flint’s music scene as a popular DJ who performs as DJ Chef Nate. He has worked at several venues in the area over the years and been an on-air personality at the 92.7 radio station. The creative outlet he finds in music also transfers to the kitchen and his business.
“I feel like a lot of times in the kitchen, you feel like you gotta follow A, B, and C rules, and if something goes wrong, it’s hard to pivot,” Campbell said. “But with DJing, it’s all on the go and it’s all free-flowing, so it just makes it easier if something goes wrong in the kitchen, not to panic, it’s easy to pivot. I think my flavor shines in my music and in my cooking. So I think you can tell, like, when people come and before they even see where the DJ’s at, they can hear the music and they’re like, oh, that’s Nate. That’s gotta be Nate. And I feel like that’s the same thing with the flavors. They can taste the food and be like, oh, Nate made that.”
810 Tings is open on Market days (Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays) from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Although Campbell has only been open for less than two weeks, he’s already received a great response.
“People have been raving about the flavor since I’ve been open,” Campbell said. “I’ve been open for four days, and I’ve had customers that have been here for three of them.”
Campbell, whose sister and a friend of his who is a chef also work in the Market stall with him, is still adding to the menu, and plans to introduce different weekly specials as well as some grab and go items in addition to the bowls that are currently the staple. Longer term, he says he’s always been encouraged to “dream big,” and hopes he can build 810 Tings into a franchiseable concept. But for now, he’s just happy to launch his business in his hometown.
“That’s 100 percent a dream come true (to have a business in Flint),” he said. “I knew early on with me doing culinary, I wanted to be in ownership and I wanted to be in ownership specifically in Flint because Flint matters to me. It’s home and I want to be a part of the changes that I’m seeing.”
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