Digital food community Chowdown Cincinnati helps elevate and promote independent restaurants by providing both full-scale marketing initiatives and enabling vocal exchanges among its followers. For eight years, it has impacted thousands of bistros, gastropubs and fine dining establishments along the way.
“At its heart, Chowdown exists to help independently owned restaurants shine,” says Chowdown CEO/President Nathan Taylor.
Word travels fast: The organization's 315,000-member online community, for example, readily dishes about its favorite local dining establishments, and Chowdown supplements that grassroots word-of-mouth with resources like maps, a CHWDWN discount card valid at participating restaurants and hands-on marketing support.
Nathan proudly reports that now, what started in Cincinnati is going nationwide.
“The Chowdown Roadshow travels coast to coast,” he shares, “to shine that same light on can’t-miss regional favorites and destination hotspots everywhere.”
“Skip the chains. Eat where the locals brag,” its website boasts to visitors. “We are building the trusted map of independent restaurants, one state at a time.”
Chowdown Cincinnati was created by Travis Setter and Brandon Quillen in 2018. Nathan joined Chowdown’s partnership team about three years ago and fully took over the reins at the beginning of 2026.
“It’s an honor to carry forward something the community already knew and loved,” Nathan explains about his new role.
No stranger to promoting worthy plates, Nathan has spent the last 11 years running a marketing agency built entirely around the restaurant industry—which has now merged with Chowdown under his leadership.
Aside from Chowdown’s following of 315,000 on Facebook, the group also counts 70,000 followers on its business page and 50,000 on Instagram.
Nathan is especially proud of the organization’s Chowdown Connects, a community-focused initiative created to use the reach and influence of Chowdown Cincinnati to bring local restaurants, businesses, nonprofits, schools and community members together around causes that matter. Each month, Chowdown Connects spotlights local restaurants and the people behind them while partnering with a nonprofit, school, teacher or community organization to create meaningful opportunities for support. The goal, he says, is to take the power of a local food community and turn it into something that gives back.
Nathan says that there are other ways for readers and food fanatics to get involved, regardless of their menu preference or profession.
“If you’re a local Cincinnatian who just loves to eat, you can join the community on Facebook,” he says. “Be sure to grab a CHWDWN Discount Card, which gets you deals at local restaurants all over town while putting money right back into those mom-and-pop shops.”
Restaurant owners can sign up to participate, join the traveling Chowdown Roadshow and check out Chowdown’s 10-step marketing plan at its website, Nathan shares.
Heading downtown for Oktoberfest? Chowdown will be there, too, and Nathan encourages fans and participating partners alike to say hello.
After over a decade in the marketing business, it takes a lot to surprise Nathan, he admits. But Chowdown Cincinnati certainly takes the cake.
“What started as a little Cincinnati page for folks to share where they were grabbing lunch has turned into a 315,000-person community and a Roadshow that’s crisscrossing the country,” Nathan says. “Nobody expects a bunch of people who just love local food to grow into something that size.”
Chowdown Cincinnati | Instagram.com/chowdownnation | Facebook.com/groups/chowdowncincinnati| Chwdwn.com