Meet Geoff Russell | Owner of The Original Campione’s Taste of Chicago in Gallatin, TN

We had the good fortune of connecting with Geoff Russell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Geoff, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
The idea was quite simple, really. We had moved here from Chicago for a fresh start, and we quickly realized that the Chicagoland foods that we loved were nowhere to be found. We missed the taste of a good old-fashioned Chicago hotdog, Italian Beef sandwich, Chicago style pizza, and pastas.

We came together as a family to open Campione’s in Gallatin to provide ourselves, the community, and former Chicago transplants a taste of our beloved foods.
 

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
We feel that we’re set apart from others because we were born and raised in Chicagoland and the food that we provide is engrained into the daily life of a Chicagoan. There is so much history related to this food that dates back to the depression era that we have decided to champion those traditions, so that when a guest enters Campione’s, they are instantly transported to Chicago. We say, “you’re in Chicago, Tennessee now.”

I myself was in sales for the better part of two decades. I worked extremely hard at becoming the best sales person I could be, and when the opportunity to run the family restaurant presented itself, I accepted without hesitation. I knew that I could inject my sales background into the restaurant to really build a great brand that we could grow throughout the Nashville area. It was difficult because I myself am not much of a chef. However, with the tutelage and guidance of my mother in-law, my wife, and others, I’ve grown to be quite skillful in the kitchen, though I don’t take claim to the recipes.

Our brand is growing. We’ve won several awards over the years, and have been recently recognized by several outlets such as:
Nashville Scene – Best Restaurant in Sumner County 2023, Best Takeout, Runner Up – Best Pizza, etc.

We’ve also become the first restaurant in Tennessee to earn the honor of Vienna Beef’s Hotdog Hall of Fame! You can come check out our award right by the register when ordering.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Nashville is such a vibrant, growing city it’s really hard to keep up! Typically one of the first places we’d take new people is the Opry Hotel. We love walking around and taking in the sites of the different rooms it has to offer. Then we’d probably take them to Broadway to take in the sites and have a beverage at one (or a few) of the many bars down there. We’ve really come to love Black Tap for their delicious burgers and shakes.

I love to direct people to visit Love Circle so they can climb the hill there and look out over the city… though there’s many new buildings blocking the view, it’s a hidden gem that not many people know of. I enjoy hiking and taking in scenery, so a quick trip over to Percy Warner Park for a hike and then going to Cheekwood would make for a good day.

We love going to the Nashville zoo also. The new bear exhibit is really cool and being able to pet a kangaroo is really unique. They’re so soft!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d really love to shoutout my entire family. Everyone has played a part in one way or another over the years. My wife’s Grandparents were truly the inspiration in starting Campione’s, as the restaurant is named after them. Her great-grandmother’s recipes have been passed down and we continue to use them to this day. My mother in-law has been synonymous with Campione’s. “Mama Deb” as she’s known, has thrown the entire restaurant on her back and ran with it. All we’re trying to do now, is live up to her standards of quality and make it a tad bit better. My father in-law made coming into the restaurant an experience for each guest, and I hope to continue that tradition. Part of which, is giving customers an earfull if they ask for ketchup on their hotdog. My amazing wife that has worked tirelessly to re-create her family’s amazing recipes as if it was her grandparents themselves, making each meal. My nieces, all 4 of them, who worked here through High School & college, and my daughter, who was 3 years old when we started, and has grown into a management role that would make any parent proud.

Website: campionestasteofchicago.com

Instagram: campionestasteofchicago

Linkedin: Theoriginalcampiones

Twitter: Campiones_OG

Facebook: facebook.com/tasteofchicago

Yelp: the original campiones taste of chicago

Youtube: campionestasteofchicago

Other: nextdoor – The Original Campione’s Taste of Chicago tiktok – @theoriginalcampiones

Image Credits
all pictures were taken by myself.