Interview, Fireside Chat
Marcus Samuelsson, Chef and Author of "The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food"
- Marcus Samuelsson, award-winning chef, restaurateur, and author of The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food, joined Margaret Anadu (Head of Goldman Sachs' Urban Investment Group) to discuss the current trajectory of Black cuisine in America.
- Samuelsson asserts that the culinary world regarding Black food is currently in the "beginning of it," noting that Blackness is vast, layered, and complex, yet often still only being "scratched" at by the general public.
- The transcript highlights the strategic realization that Black food is not monolithic; it requires the same level of cultural granularity and regional differentiation as Northern vs. Southern Italian or French regional cuisines.
- Samuelsson identifies 2006–2007 (coinciding with the iPhone launch and Facebook's rise) as the inflection point where the restaurant industry merged with digital branding, fundamentally altering gatekeepers and business growth dynamics.
- Key business lessons from early failures and successes led Samuelsson to open Red Rooster in Harlem in 2006 to create a space rooted in African-American history, music, and culture rather than just food.
- A primary motivation for Red Rooster was addressing the lack of Black authorship in the food industry; historical value propositions and media narratives have traditionally been written from French, Italian, or Japanese perspectives, excluding the Black diaspora.
- Samuelsson aims to shift the narrative so Black food is as easily accessible and identifiable in neighborhoods across the US as Italian or Spanish food, currently found only in specific hubs like New York, Detroit, Oakland, or Atlanta.
- To address media bias and improve representation, Samuelsson has leveraged his platform to write books, curate festivals (Harlem Food Festival), and advocate for Black writers and editors to lead content creation, citing the impact of appointing Dawn Davis to leadership at Condé Nast as a positive trajectory shift.
- In response to the economic disparity caused by the pandemic, Samuelsson and his group launched the "Black Business Matters Matching Fund" in partnership with Uber Eats to drive traffic and revenue specifically to Black-owned businesses.
- During the initial pandemic lockdown (starting March 15), the Marcus Samuelsson Group, employing ~2,500 staff across eight countries, pivoted restaurants into community kitchens, partnering with World Central Kitchen (Red Rooster NYC), Audible/Don Katz (Newark), and others.
- From March 15 to October 15, the group served 225,000 meals, transforming staff roles from restaurant workers to first responders and redefining the core meaning of a restaurant as a place to "restore your community."
- Samuelsson's early life trajectory involved survival of tuberculosis as an infant, followed by adoption by a Swedish family after being hospitalized in a Swedish facility, a series of "random incidents" he attributes to humility and global perspective.
- His culinary foundation was built in the kitchen of his adoptive grandmother in Sweden, where he learned that cooking was an act of love and community, not just a technical skill.
- At age 18, Samuelsson moved to Japan with no Japanese language skills, an experience that accelerated his development of emotional and social intelligence in high-pressure professional environments.
- Early career challenges included assuming leadership at Aquavine unexpectedly after his boss's death, where the lack of a traditional support system (extended family in NYC) forced rapid evolution in decision-making and management.
- Aquavine achieved a three-star rating from The New York Times, validating Samuelsson's work ethic and ability to navigate the competitive New York culinary scene as a Black immigrant.
- Samuelsson credits his father's encouragement to "do something you love" and go hard for it, as well as the legacy of New Orleans icon Miss Leah Chase, who advised him to "keep aiming high" into her 90s.
- Samuelsson expresses optimism for the future of Black food due to increased American curiosity regarding cuisine post-pandemic, but emphasizes that accessibility through platforms, supermarkets, and media remains a necessary next step.
- The "Black Food" conversation is inextricably linked to broader racial equity, requiring simultaneous action in storytelling, leadership representation, and acknowledging the historical past to build future aspirations.