Introducing Food Belt

My name is Kath, and today I’m launching a digital publication called Food Belt where I will share stories of the people behind the growing food scene here in South Bend, Indiana.

In anticipation of this launch, I’ve published three articles here on West.SB: Something New Is Happening in the South Bend Food Scene, Opening a South Bend Restaurant During the Pandemic, and Twenty-Four Hours with Upstream Farm.

When I moved to South Bend from Nashville, Tennessee four and a half years ago, I personally saw very few creative and innovative things happening in the local food and beverage scene compared to the vibrant food culture in Nashville. Fast-forward to today—our city is seeing new concepts fueled by young chefs and creators popping up all over. Many of my now-favorite restaurants, bakeries, and coffee shops first opened their doors within the past two years.

Something new is happening in the South Bend food scene, and it’s worthy of our attention.

Through my work as a branding and web designer, I’ve had the privilege of sitting across the table from chefs, bakers, and business owners to hear the stories of why they are here, what they hope to communicate with their food, and the struggles of operating food and beverage businesses.

The truth is, this industry is highly demanding, with endless hours of physical and mental strain and slim profit margins as a reward. The people working in South Bend’s kitchens are here because they are passionate about food and eager to share that passion with us.

My goal with Food Belt is to tell these stories that may otherwise go unheard and celebrate the culture of culinary excellence growing here in South Bend. 

Today, I’m excited to announce that the Food Belt website is live! To follow along, head to food-belt.com and sign up for our email newsletter.