Today we’d like to introduce you to Kanchan Garg.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Kanchan. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve always joked that eating is my favorite hobby and food is my favorite subject. The adventurous foodie in me has exponentially grown over the years, especially post-college between my time in Minneapolis and Chicago where the options are endless. I’ve always been the first of my friends to try the newest restaurants, and the millennial in me, of course, was always photographing food for the ‘gram (Instagram). Food isn’t functional to me, it’s experiential, and I am the epitome of someone who lives to eat. As a brand manager in CPG, my day job is inclusive of identifying trends and working closely with R&D scientists and culinary chefs to develop innovative food products to launch in markets nationwide. Between my job and my hobby, my life literally revolves around food 24/7. I decided it was time to combine my professional expertise with my unparalleled passion, and with that, FoodGuruChicago was born in December 2017.
Has it been a smooth road?
I think the biggest challenge is devoting time to being a food blogger, while also balancing my day job with my social life and other priorities. I blog about food because I truly enjoy it, but to grow your presence in this industry, you have to put in the time. You need to be active on Instagram to increase your reach and following. I’m not someone who’s going to follow people randomly in hopes they follow me back. I only follow people I genuinely want to, seeking followers who are engaged with my content and growing that authentic audience takes time and patience. You need to network with others in the industry to gain credibility. You need to make time to facilitate partnerships with restaurants. Most importantly, you need to regularly post interesting content. Despite this, I would say my journey has been relatively smooth, thus far, as I’ve been able to devote time to do these things and grow a steady following.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the FoodGuruChicago story. Tell us more about the business.
FoodGuruChicago is the brand that I’ve cultivated through Instagram, a platform most people now use to identify what they want to eat next. But I didn’t want to be just another Instagrammer posting photos of pretty food or reposting what someone else ate. I wanted my content to be more authentic and reflective of my personality, which is why I’ve focused on the art of Instablogging. Below every photo I post is a mini blog highlighting the dish I’m eating, my honest thoughts on it, and an overview of the restaurant. The content is written conversationally through my tone of voice. This format is a one-stop shop, giving people the option to swipe through my photos or read the content in tandem to get additional intel on my dishes. Every photo on my account is taken by me, on my phone, with no filters. Every dish pictured is something I’ve personally tasted. I also don’t focus on a specific “niche” of food. My world is a melting pot, inclusive of everything from fast food to Michelin starred and indulgent to healthy, and I really want my food brand to highlight that as well.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
My Scorpio intuition tells me food blogging is only going to continue growing exponentially as large companies and restaurants continue to engage influencers and the power of Instagram to showcase their food. People don’t consume media the same way anymore and organic buzz/word-of-mouth via social platforms will keep shaping consumer purchase behaviors. That being said, the bar for being an “authentic” food blogger is only going to rise as the market continues to get saturated with more people penetrating the industry.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.instagram.com/foodguruchicago/
- Email: kanchang@umich.edu
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foodguruchicago/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/foodguruchicago/
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
