influencer
A social media user who has established credibility in a specific industry, has access to a large audience
and can persuade others by virtue of their authenticity and reach.
WINE, DINE AND POST
MontclairFoodie’s Kendra Barnes shares her favorite meals
INTERVIEW BY JORAM MUSHINSKE
@MontclairFoodie
MontclairFoodie
MontclairFoodie.com
TEA TIME AT VANILLAMORE
WHERE YOU GREW UP: Clifton
WHERE YOU LIVE NOW: Montclair
EDUCATION: Rutgers University
FAVORITE FOLLOWS: I love following
chefs’ pages. You really get to see the
passion behind what, how, and why the
food is being served, paired, and plated
like it is. Plus, you get a sneak peek of
upcoming specials.
FUTURE ASPIRATIONS: I’m currently
studying for my Wine & Spirit Education
Trust (WSET) Level 3 certification with
Amanti Vino. We’d love to be able to
partner with new and existing restaurants
to plan wine pairing dinners as well as
throw other food and wine events in
and around Montclair.
10
MAY 2020 MONTCLAIR MAGAZINE
When and why did you start posting
about food? We’re actually celebrating our
five-year anniversary this year. I was working
in finance for a big retail company and living
in Bloomfield at the time, thinking about
going to culinary school to become a chef.
A longtime friend and executive chef at
Montclair State University, Jorge Padmore,
looked at me and said, “Do you enjoy
cooking, or do you enjoy eating?” I thought
about it and had to admit, I LOVE eating good
food and drinking great wine. Jorge said, “Take
the thousands of dollars you’d spend on
culinary school and go eat and drink as much
as you can.” And so, Montclair Foodie began.
What does it mean to be a Montclair
Foodie? To enjoy and explore all
levels of food and wine in and around
Montclair. Montclair Foodie is not ONE
person, it’s a community. It’s a vibe.
How often do you post? In the past
year, our posting was sporadic. We have
expanded the Montclair Foodie team and
hope to be more structured in the sense
of scheduling posts and being even more
active online. We had a great response to
our recent #StayHome giveaway and are
launching additional giveaways to spread the
love, support our local restaurants and help
our neighbors look forward to when they can
spend these gift cards. The restaurant industry
will be hit extremely hard by this and as a
realtor and foodie, I’m doing whatever I can
to support local. I think it’s important for us
all to do what we can. We truly are in
this together.
How did you build your large social
media following? The growth in our organic
following has been primarily thanks to Osiris
D3 digital brand management. Their guidance
NAME, AGE: Kendra Barnes, 32