Obama Names Presidential Center Restaurant After Personal Chef Who Died

The Obama Foundation announced Monday that the long-delayed Obama Presidential Center on Chicago’s South Side will include a comfort-food restaurant named after Tafari Campbell, the former White House chef and Obama family personal chef who died in a paddleboarding accident near Barack Obama’s Martha’s Vineyard estate in 2023.

The restaurant, called Tafari’s Kitchen, is expected to open with the Obama Presidential Center during its grand opening on June 19.

The massive project has been in development for more than a decade and has drawn both praise and criticism, particularly over the significant taxpayer-backed infrastructure spending connected to the site.

While the Obama Foundation is privately funded, public money has gone toward hundreds of millions of dollars in roadwork, transit upgrades, utility improvements, and other infrastructure surrounding the South Side campus.

According to the foundation, Tafari’s Kitchen will serve a menu inspired by the Obama family’s personal story, food traditions, and favorite recipes.

Chicago chef Cliff Rome and Bon Appétit Management will oversee the restaurant’s culinary operations.

One featured dish will be “Mrs. Robinson’s Red Rice,” a recipe honoring Marian Robinson, Michelle Obama’s late mother.

Campbell first joined the White House culinary team during the administration of President George W. Bush and continued serving during the Obama years, eventually becoming a sous chef.

When Obama left office in 2017, the former first family asked Campbell to remain with them as their personal chef, a position he accepted.

The Obama Foundation described Campbell as “a warm, fun-loving, and humble soul who used his immense gifts and passion for food to spread joy and bring people together.”

A portrait of Campbell painted by actress Kate Capshaw will also be displayed inside the restaurant.

Barack and Michelle Obama described Campbell as a “beloved part of our family” in a statement reflecting on his service and friendship.

“When we first met him, he was a talented sous chef at the White House, creative and passionate about food, and its ability to bring people together,” the statement said.

“In the years that followed, we got to know him as a warm, fun, extraordinarily kind person who made all of our lives a little brighter,” the Obamas added.

“That’s why, when we were getting ready to leave the White House, we asked Tafari to stay with us, and he generously agreed,” the statement continued.

“He’s been part of our lives ever since, and our hearts are broken that he’s gone,” the former first family added.

Campbell, 45, died on July 24, 2023, after a paddleboarding accident near the Obama family’s Martha’s Vineyard residence in Massachusetts.

Authorities began a search after receiving reports that a paddleboarder was struggling in the water. Campbell’s body was later recovered from Edgartown Great Pond after local and state agencies assisted in the search.

Investigators said another paddleboarder who was with Campbell saw him standing on his board before he lost his balance and fell into the water.

Officials ruled the death an accidental drowning and said there was no evidence of foul play.

Police said Campbell was not wearing a life vest at the time. His body was later found about 100 feet from shore, according to AP News.

The Massachusetts medical examiner ruled the death an accidental drowning due to submersion.

The Obamas were not at the Martha’s Vineyard home when the accident occurred, the New York Post reported at the time.

The June 19 opening of the Obama Presidential Center will mark the conclusion of a project that has spent years in planning and construction while generating sharp debate in Chicago.

Supporters have portrayed the center as a cultural and economic investment in the South Side. Critics, however, have continued to question the public cost of surrounding infrastructure tied to a privately funded presidential center.

For taxpayers, the central issue remains clear: even when a project is promoted as privately funded, the public often ends up paying heavily for the roads, utilities, and transit systems needed to support it.