Welcome to Chambana Eats. We’ve got something really special for you here.
Chambana Eats is Champaign-Urbana’s only publication focused exclusively on the food and drink industry in our community. We’re here to give you the behind the scenes of what you’re eating, whether it’s at a dining hall on campus or an upscale steakhouse in downtown Champaign.
In a community surrounded by farms cultivating delicious local produce, our goal is to highlight the ingredients and food in our community and who makes them, while shining a light on the social, national and local issues that impact them.
At its most complex, Chambana Eats is about breaking down the complexity of our local hospitality industry. At its most basic, we want to make sure you know where to get your next great meal.
In addition, we aim to be a place where service industry professionals can connect and get advice from each other, share tips, transitions and more. Bartenders, executive chefs, bus staff, wait staff or owners — they’re the celebrities of this publication.
Our core focuses will be on telling stories about the people behind your favorite bite, lists of where to find great cuisine, news on openings and closings in our community, "experiences" which highlight what it's like to eat or drink at an establishment, as well as what it's like to have food delivered from certain places, or what places are worth the trip within driving distance.
On social media, we're planning to uplift our community, with a regular feature of "Food Service Industry Workers of CU" and weekly posts on specials at restaurants and bars across the area. Want to make sure your establishment is featured? Reach out.
We’re powered by the non-profit Illini Media Company, home of award-winning student-run products like The Daily Illini, WPGU and the Illio Yearbook.
In a first for Illini Media, Chambana Eats is a hybrid newsroom. Students will both lead and learn alongside professional journalists, community contributors while gaining experience and receiving mentorship and feedback from industry professionals.
We are also accepting contributors and folks across the community looking to flex their creative muscles. We’re interested in news writers, feature writers, podcast hosts, artists and creators, and pretty much anyone with a creative idea about how to showcase food and drink in a unique way. Does that sound like you? Let us know by reaching out to [email protected].
Of course, we’ll be posting all kinds of fun and exclusive content on social media, across Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. Stay on the lookout for multimedia content from us on YouTube, podcasts platforms and more.
Finally, the news site and social media is only the beginning. Events, pop-ups, happy hours and more are coming. The best way to stay in the loop on what’s coming is to keep an eye on this space, follow us on social media and subscribe to our newsletter.
Thanks for being part of this journey with us, we’re so excited for so many great eats and stories to come.