Baltimore has long been home to chefs who create food with intention, culture, and community at the heart of their craft. For Chef Kayla Campbell, founder of Eat With Kay, her culinary journey is defined by curiosity, creativity, and a deep respect for how food shapes people’s lives.
Her love for the hospitality industry began early. Kayla worked nearly every position across the field, but becoming a chef was the role that sparked her ambition. Originally majoring in radiology, she realized the medical field did not reflect the future she wanted. Instead, she followed her passion, switched her major to culinary management, and discovered a path that felt true to who she was. In 2021, she launched Eat With Kay, transforming her experience and vision into a business built on flavor, culture, and connection.
A Personal Story That Inspires Conscious Cooking
Kayla’s approach to food is shaped by her father, who faced several health challenges throughout his life and passed away shortly before she graduated culinary school. His experiences encouraged her to think more intentionally about how food can support long-term well-being while still delivering bold, exciting flavor.
She also draws inspiration from family members living with diabetes, strokes, and cancer, which led her to create dishes that are thoughtful without sacrificing taste. She gravitates toward cooking methods like grilling, braising, and sautéing that allow ingredients to shine while avoiding the heaviness found in fried foods.
Her Coconut Curry Salmon, prepared with fresh ginger, garlic, and low sodium seasoning, highlights her ability to balance richness with clean ingredients.
Her Honey Garlic Shrimp with Basmati Rice uses natural sweeteners instead of processed sugars, offering depth and sweetness without being overly heavy.
A Taste of the World on Every Plate
Eat With Kay is known for offering custom menus for every client. This personal approach allows Kayla to build relationships and design meals that truly reflect her clients’ tastes and experiences.
Her signature concept, “A Taste of the World,” brings together influences from Caribbean, Creole, African, Hispanic, and American cuisines. Each dish blends two or more cultural traditions, creating a fusion style that celebrates global flavor through the lens of Baltimore creativity.
Creating Experiences, Not Just Meals
Community is at the center of everything Kayla builds. Beyond catering, she aims to expand into offering cooking classes, especially for young people. She believes that learning how to cook early builds confidence, independence, and a lifetime appreciation for good food.
Her ultimate goal is to help people think differently about what they eat, make intentional choices, and enjoy meals that are both exciting and balanced.
A Vision for Baltimore’s Future
Looking ahead, Kayla plans to grow Eat With Kay from a catering company into a brick and mortar quick service restaurant located in Baltimore’s inner city. She envisions a space where global flavor meets community engagement, complete with food education, interactive learning, and a welcoming atmosphere.
“Eat With Kay will be more than a restaurant,” she says. “It will be a movement. A place where people enjoy great food and walk away with something valuable to share.”
Her guiding philosophy is simple.
Let’s eat to live, not eat to die.
How to Contact Eat With Kay
For custom menus, catering, or inquiries, contact
Kayla Campbell at eatwithkay@yahoo.com.
About This Series
This feature is part of a collaboration between The Baltimore Times and the Greater Baltimore Urban League. Over the next few months, The Baltimore Times will spotlight businesses that participated in GBUL’s Restaurant Accelerator Program (RAP), sponsored by the Pepsi Foundation. Through the program, eight businesses were awarded a total of eighty thousand dollars in grant funding and received free business coaching to strengthen their operations and community impact. For more information about RAP, visit GBUL.org.