The Mess Hall
The Mess Hall
Podcast Description
The Mess Hall brings you messy conversations about the topics that matter to the food and beverage industry -- the thorny topics that don't have a simple solution and require nuanced discussion, ideas, and thought. Hosts Maeve Webster and Mike Kostyo of food industry consulting firm Menu Matters bring in expert guests -- chefs, anthropologists, beverage consultants, marketing experts -- to dive into one provocative topic each episode. Plus, Maeve and Mike start each show with a look at attention-getting research, data, and news that impacts food industry professionals, and each episode ends with five questions, from "What is your hospitality pet peeve?" to "What is something you've changed your mind about?" This conversational, funny, and thought-provoking series is a must-listen for anyone who works in foodservice or CPG: chefs, R&D, sales, marketing, supply chain, regulatory, nutrition, agriculture, C-suite, and beyond. For more information about Menu Matters, visit menumatters.com
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on thought-provoking topics such as nostalgia's impact on the food industry, the decline of traditional marketing tools like coupons, and generational shifts in social engagement with episodes exploring issues like Gen Z's party habits and the balance between nostalgia and innovation.

The Mess Hall brings you messy conversations about the topics that matter to the food and beverage industry — the thorny topics that don’t have a simple solution and require nuanced discussion, ideas, and thought. Hosts Maeve Webster and Mike Kostyo of food industry consulting firm Menu Matters bring in expert guests — chefs, anthropologists, beverage consultants, marketing experts — to dive into one provocative topic each episode. Plus, Maeve and Mike start each show with a look at attention-getting research, data, and news that impacts food industry professionals, and each episode ends with five questions, from “What is your hospitality pet peeve?” to “What is something you’ve changed your mind about?” This conversational, funny, and thought-provoking series is a must-listen for anyone who works in foodservice or CPG: chefs, R&D, sales, marketing, supply chain, regulatory, nutrition, agriculture, C-suite, and beyond. For more information about Menu Matters, visit menumatters.com
In this episode, we discuss the decline of deviance. From cults to alcohol, movies to car colors, the evidence is clear that society is afraid to take risks. What does that mean for the food industry — and humanity at large? Then, now that the controversy has subsided, we dive into what the Cracker Barrel uproar was really about. What can brands learn from the brand’s missteps, what could Cracker Barrel have done to engage new consumers in ways that honored the brand identity, and why should the food industry take their role in consumers’ lives more seriously?

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