Meet Chef Camilah
Camilah Campbell is the visionary behind Love at First Bite, the Atlanta food truck and brunch restaurant that has captured the hearts and tastebuds of both locals and visitors.
Her culinary journey began early, cooking alongside her mother in their kitchen in Kansas. “My mom has always had a passion for cooking. My mom is really my ‘why’. I always found myself side-by-side with her in the kitchen, just following her recipes and really following every single thing that she did. And she taught me our family tradition. She is the biggest inspiration for my brand, and why I'm here today. She passed away four years ago, so unfortunately, she was not able to see what I've built, but this is really all for her,” Camilah explains. Despite that tragic loss, the family legacy lives on through Love at First Bite, a brand that is truly rooted in comfort, care, service, and darn delicious meals.
Supporting Hurricane Helene
Working through storm duty with Georgia Power after Hurricane Helene, she and her team witnessed firsthand the impact of providing meals and comfort during challenging times. Camilah recalls the day they left for Claxton, Georgia to support the efforts. “I got the phone call on a Sunday. We were here, and busy during brunch. Our Georgia Power contact said, ‘If you can get here tonight and help us out with the food truck…I'm not sure if this is something that you're interested in, but we need you.’ I had a phone call with a few of the executives and they were setting their expectations of what was needed for the week. And I said, "I'll come."
They closed the restaurant early and started planning - who could make the trip, what they could bring, where they’d set up. “I went to Sam’s and filled up four dollies by myself,” Cam laughs, “and we packed up the truck and headed out at around 3 in the morning.”
During that week, the Love at First Bite crew made almost 10,000 meals that were delivered to line crews working day and night on restoring the power. “It was the craziest experience. Such a rewarding experience, but crazy in a good way. It was something that you'll never experience again. And it was just awesome to be able to be in partnership with Georgia Power to do that. It was a really rewarding experience for us.”
Looking Ahead
Camilah credits much of her success as a Black female business owner to the unwavering support and collaboration of her team. A chosen family, Cam, Ari, Helena, and the rest of the staff agree that none of it feels like “work” because they’re passionate about growing the brand and enjoy being together for all of it. The Love at First Bite brand evolved from the publishing of Camilah’s first cookbook (she’s working on a second one now) in 2020. She built on that success, putting everything back into the business, launching the food truck, building a loyal catering client list, and eventually opening the restaurant.
And there are more big plans in the works, including merch, a YouTube channel and podcast, potential new locations, and a vintage apron line. “It doesn't feel like it's work. It doesn't feel like a job. I love what I do. And I'm passionate about it, every single day. It's what gets me up in the morning and what drives my consistency. Because it's really a hard business to be in. I have an amazing team. And honestly, I would not be able to be here and be successful without them,” Camilah explains.
Stepping-Up as a mentor
Despite not having a mentor on her entrepreneurial journey, Camilah recognizes the value of them, sharing that “I'm still new to the entrepreneur world, so I'm really still trying to understand my resources. I worked in corporate for so long, so it's like everything is new to me. I'm really still learning to understand grants. I've never had a grant. Everything that I've done is really just building my business and putting what I've earned back into my business. Mentors probably would've made things easier, I'm still learning, and hopefully along the way I'll meet that person.”
To her team, however, Camilah is that person. She’s being her authentic self, sharing her passions, and following her dreams, and the women in her orbit are learning by example. Ari, her assistant and original member of the Love at First Bite team added, “As far as mentees go, even as she's learning, she's also showing us what to do. She's not secretive with any information, so she's turning us into mini- bosses, right? With her. So that's a plus.”
Visit Love at First Bite
Located at 1800 Jonesboro Road Southeast in Atlanta, Love at First Bite has become a beloved brunch destination in the Lakewood community. Loyal regulars rave about the candied bacon deviled eggs, creative shrimp dishes, jerk fries, mimosas, and the incredibly popular Heartthrob Burger.
Brunch hours are from 10am to 4pm on Thursday and Friday, and 9am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday. For catering services and food truck bookings, reach out to Love at First Bite by calling 678-851-9548, sending an email to info@lovatfirstbiteatl.com, or through their website at loveatfirstbiteatl.com.loveatfirstbiteatl.com.
Love at First Bite is more than a brand name, more than a restaurant and food truck – for Camilah and her team, it’s a promise. And it’s one they hope you’ll take them up on soon.
Find your network
Chef Camilah is a mentor to her team, but no matter where you are in Georgia there is a network to support your small business. Local chambers, entrepreneur centers, and mentor networks can help you start and grow your business.
Get a jump on finding connecting with your network using these resources: