Barack & Michelle Obama Honor Their Late Chef Tafari Campbell w/ Restaurant Inside New Presidential Center

Chef Tafari Campbell, Michelle & Barack Obama

Barack & Michelle Obama Honor Their Late Chef Tafari Campbell w/ Restaurant Inside New Presidential Center

The Obama Presidential Center opened with a deeply personal tribute woven into its South Side Chicago campus.

Barack and Michelle Obama officially opened the 19.3-acre Obama Presidential Center on June 18, 2026, and one of its most meaningful spaces honors their late chef, Tafari Campbell. The campus restaurant, Tafari’s Kitchen, is named after Campbell, a former White House sous chef who later became the Obamas’ personal chef.

Campbell d*ed in 2023 after an accidental paddleboarding drowning near the Obamas’ Martha’s Vineyard home. The couple was not home at the time.

The Obama Foundation remembers Campbell as “a warm, fun-loving, and selfless soul, with award-winning culinary talent,” who “used his passion for food to spread joy and create community.”

“Tafari Campbell showed us what true character looks like,” Barack Obama said. “He believed that actions speak louder than words. And he used his immense gifts to bring people together, provide comfort, and spread joy.”

The restaurant menu includes Tafari’s Famous Ribs, Obama Family Chili and Mrs. Robinson’s Red Rice.