Our Approach
As avid cooks, restaurant-goers—and, yes, perpetual networkers!—our work is driven by a genuine interest in the creators and consumers who shape the world of food. So rather than deliver sterile data or impersonal insights, we strive to understand the deeper social, economic and cultural trends that drive noteworthy shifts in our industry. Whether speaking at conferences, traveling to the hottest culinary markets or investing in long-term relationships with business leaders and tastemakers, the real value of our services is rooted in our insatiable curiosity for all things F+B.
We meet clients with the same people-first perspective, seeking to understand the operational concerns and stakeholder structures that influence their unique decision-making processes. Serving as an organic extension of their in-house teams, we partner closely with individuals across various fields of expertise to generate impactful solutions and identify new opportunities. By looking at business challenges from these diverse perspectives—and within a broader socio-cultural context—we can more effectively empower clients to implement innovative strategies that challenge the status quo.
Maeve Webster | PRESIDENT
Maeve Webster has been a go-to thought leader, consultant and trend expert in the food industry for over 20 years. Her clients rely on her to identify critical trends that impact the industry, consumers and their business specifically, and to explain the relevance of those trends in a way that is engaging, approachable and actionable.
Working closely with manufacturers, national account operators, commodity boards and agencies, Maeve has supported menu strategy, product concept development, trend prioritization and implementation, concept development and operational efficiency efforts.
She is a sought-after speaker for everything from client sales meetings and customer events to large industry events such as the RCA Conference, New Products Conference, MISE, VIBE, and Flavor Experience (to name just a few). She has been quoted as an expert on the food industry by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, NPR and BBC Radio.
Maeve has an MBA from the University of Illinois and a culinary degree from the Le Cordon Bleu. Before launching Menu Matters, she honed her skills at two large industry research firms, and for 4 years ran a successful café/bakery in Bennington, VT, which was named “best café” in each of the years it was in operation under her leadership.
MIKE KOSTYO | VICE President
Mike Kostyo has been a leading voice in food industry trends and insights for over a decade, known for digging through the messy information landscape to uncover unique insights that help brands think differently. Viewing food through a human-first, anthropological lens—shaped by his master's degree in gastronomy—Mike brings depth and expertise to industry research and analysis. He excels at collaborative problem-solving with clients, bringing high energy, humor and a personal touch to every project.
His cross-disciplinary background, ranging from magazine journalism to advertising to political communications, allows him to communicate complex trends and ideas with clarity and impact, earning him coverage in the New York Times, a featured profile on Huffington Post (“This Food Trendologist Knows What We’ll Be Eating Before Anyone Else”), on NBC Nightly News, as a recurring guest on Fusion TV’s The AV Club Show, and even as a judge on Food Network’s Eating America. He is also a sought-after speaker who has presented to over a hundred industry events on topics like innovation and AI, as well as his still-talked-about “How to Be Weird” presentation.
Based in Chicago, Kostyo is also a freelance writer who regularly contributes to food industry publications. In addition to his gastronomy degree from Boston University, he has certificates in the culinary arts, baking arts, wine, and artisan cheese production and he proudly serves on the advisory committee for the Arkansas Food Innovation Center at the Market Center of the Ozarks.
SHELLEY PHILLIPS | STRATEGIC PLANNER
Shelley Phillips joined Menu Matters in November 2024, bringing with her 20 years of experience in investment banking with a focus on structuring complex funding solutions for non-profit and municipal clients. At Menu Matters, she leverages her expertise in strategic planning, team building and research.
Shelley earned a Master's in History, followed by her MBA at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She, her husband and two cats reside in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana where they enjoy fly fishing, hiking, wildlife viewing and gardening.
