The Mess Hall

In this episode of The Mess Hall, Mike and Maeve dig into the freshest data from their 2026 Consumer Needs Mid-Year Update Survey. They share the findings that surprised them most: why younger consumers say 2026 has gone better than expected and what that streak of American optimism means for food innovation, plus they unpack consumer confusion around ultra-processed foods. Then they sit down with...

In this episode of The Mess Hall , Mike and Maeve check in on their 100 Recipe Challenge, a year-long project to cook 100 new recipes from cookbooks they've collected. They compare progress, debate the merits of following recipes to the letter versus trusting your gut, share their favorite and least favorite dishes so far, and go down a rabbit hole on the quest for the perfect pancake. Then they s...

In this episode of The Mess Hall, we talk about the importance of play and creativity in our adult lives, which includes in cooking and eating experiences. And we talk with Rebecca Kilbreath, editor in chief of Restaurant Development + Design magazine. She talks about current design trends in restaurants, what the nostalgia trend actually looks like, moving away from same-ification in restaurant d...

On this episode of The Mess Hall, Mike and Maeve discuss what they learned from recent hospitality experiences in New Orleans and Denver. What can the food industry learn from a bar packed with orthopedic surgeons, a tableside bananas foster, and a prix fixe menu personalized to your likes and dislikes? Then, Mike and Maeve dig into a hot topic: should the food industry stop using the word "consum...

On this episode of The Mess Hall, we talk to Chef Anna Cheely, a flavor science expert and the senior culinary innovation manager at Kalsec, a natural flavors and colors company based in Michigan. How have flavor preferences have changed over the years? What does flavor look like at a time when ultra-processed foods are in the headlines? And how do you even capture the flavor of tom yum soup in a...

On this episode of The Mess Hall, we talk to Suzy Badaracco, who went from tracking serial killers to cereal bars. Badaracco's background has taken her from training as a criminalist with the FBI and Scotland Yard to culinary school and studying human nutrition. Today she runs Culinary Tides, where she uses all of those skills to find trends and patterns in the food and beverage industry. On the s...

In this episode of The Mess Hall, we start off the show by looking at some of the brands and products that are killing it right now, from a marketing message from a knife sharpening brand to the Savannah Bananas to one of the best hotels we stayed at in 2025. Then we dive into the Menu Matters Consumer Need for 2026 -- consumers are just looking for the food and beverage industry to keep it real....

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 Cracker Barrel's missteps, what could Cr...

In this episode of The Mess Hall, we talk to Chef Rosalyn Darling about whether there is a place for emotion in the food industry. How do you create new food products, menu items, or experiences that solve for human anxiety, or the need for some excitement in our lives? How do you think through the entirety of the emotional experience, including for food industry workers? Is it possible to weave e...

In this episode of The Mess Hall, we chat with Chef Andrew Hunter who is a consulting chef for brands like Wolfgang Puck, Niman Ranch, and Kikkoman. What starts as a conversation about the difference between taste and flavor and whether the two even matter to today's social media-centric consumers quickly dives into a range of topics, from what brand authenticity means to Arby's to Dubai chocolate...

Will GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy spell the downfall of the food industry -- or at the very least the snack food industry? In this episode, we look at the hype around GLP-1 drugs and try to uncover the real learnings for restaurants and food manufacturers. From food noise to portion sizes to what consumers consider to be healthy today, registered dietitian nutritionist and industry expert P...

We dive into why Gen Z isn’t hosting parties, discuss the decline of coupons, and our guest Chef Chase Obenchain joins us to have a messy conversation about nostalgia and whether we’ve gone overboard in our pursuit of the past. From bringing back brands from the '90s to the relentless focus on "newstalgia," the food and beverage industry has gone all-in on nostalgic brands, marketing campaigns, an...