Food, Film, and Fun in the ‘Burg
A new writer brings a fresh voice to the Advance.
Editor’s Note: The Advance welcomes Justin to our team of writers. Learn more by listening to him on the New Dominion Podcast. Also, check out his new book, Perfect Strangers.
By Justin Marlowe
WRITER
“Why not Fredericksburg?” This phrase has defined Khalfani King’s endeavors, namely FXBG TV and USA Grubbing. The former is geared towards media-driven exposure for up-and-coming individuals. The latter focuses on communal unity via noteworthy cuisine.
The man goes by “Khal,” for short, and he promotes himself and his businesses with a grassroots approach to steady development and success.
Born in Onslow County, North Carolina, during the late 1970s, Khal was brought up in a military home, in which moving from place-to-place was second nature. After relocating to Stafford, Virginia, from Camp Lejeune in 1988, Khal eventually became a standout wrestler and four-year letterman for the Brooke Point Black Hawks.
Khal was typically “the only black kid doing everything,” he told The Advance. That feeling of isolation left him in the athletic arena, where camaraderie, skill, and merit were what mattered most to his peers and superiors, not his skin color.
In his words, “Sports brought everyone together.”
Following his high school years, King ended up at West Virginia University. As a Mountaineer, Khal found his niche. He began performing as a DJ at local night spots and obtained on-air features as an intern for WBOY in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Khal describes his stint in Morgantown as being “the time of his life.” After graduating and moving back home to the Fredericksburg area, Khal continued along a similar path. He was becoming successful from a financial perspective, but in his words “things got a little too big, too quickly.”
So he launched an enterprise branded “KK Media,” (drawn from the letters of his first and last name), which served as a derivative to so much of what he’d accomplished while working at WVU. Khal’s focus revolved around showcasing videos of local businesses, entrepreneurs, the community, and placing a spotlight on budding vendors.
These moves ultimately sowed the seeds for the two businesses he now runs, which emerged because he was often asked the question, “Does anything ever really happen in Fredericksburg?”
Khal took the question as a pejorative dig at his town, so his response became “Yes,” and “I’m here to prove you wrong.”
As his career blossomed, Khal was able to obtain a weekly contract with Baileys, a corporate restaurant chain. Once Baileys shut down, he began developing food events in partnership with the City of Fredericksburg and the Free Lance Star, and from this came USA Grubbing. His bond with Bailey's General Manager turned into an opportunity to host his first cuisine-based convention within the city, the FXBG Sandwich Invitational; a tasting which featured sandwiches from local restaurants that gave guests the opportunity to sample and vote for their favorite. The event was passed around for years between multiple businesses but ceased to exist following the pandemic.
Since then, USA Grubbing has organized the FXBG Crabfest; the FXBG St. Patrick’s Day Entertainment Report; the Red Dragon Brewery’s Hops, Grapes, and Grains; among others.
Eventually, King forged a bond with Jake Crocker from the former FW Sullivans, a company which was a part of a restaurant chain based in Richmond. They opened a location where Jay’s is currently located, on William Street.
At Jake’s recommendation, Khal start a local imprint, KK Media, which was then rebranded as FXBG TV. In his words, FXBG TV is an organization which “continues to center around bringing the residents of the area together in terms of showcasing his media ventures.” It ultimately serves as a promotional tool for the events hosted by USA Grubbing. Essentially killing two birds with one stone.
Moving into 2025, Khal has a number of events on his lineup card. These include the 2nd Annual Seafood Festival series, Second Annual VegFest, and the Pickle +Hot Sauce + Grilled Cheese Festival.
His work in Fredericksburg serves as an incubator to prove his growth model can succeed. He continues to embody the objective of scaling upward and hosting at larger venues.
You can check his businesses out online at: www.fxbg.tv and www.usagrubbing.com, or by following him on Instagram at @khalfaniking.
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