Menu Matters Monthly Minute | July 2025

Written By Maeve Webster

Technically there are still 52 days until fall begins, but you wouldn’t know it from the marketing calendar: stores are filled with back-to-school supplies (and a few have released their Halloween products), brands are running “end of summer” sales, and Starbucks has announced the return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte (August 26).

But whether you are already in the sweater weather mindset or you’re managing to eke out a final few weeks of summer, this month’s issue of the Menu Matters Monthly Minute is filled with ideas to get the creative juices flowing in the months ahead.

One thing we’ve been noodling on? Whether the industry has gone overboard in the pursuit of nostalgia. In fact, that’s the topic of our brand new podcast, The Mess Hall — more info on that below.

As you start using up your 2025 budget and begin planning for the end of the year and even 2026, we’d love to work together. We’ve outlined some of our capabilities here, but in a nutshell we just like to tackle thorny questions together. Send us a message and we can chat about an issue you’re struggling with or a need you have.

Stat to Know

43% of consumers want every package at the grocery store to allow you see the product inside

We thought about that stat when we were at the Fancy Food Show last month. Brands like BioOrto, which showcased beautiful preserved vegetables in glass bottles, turned the product into the star. Good Hair Day pasta has gotten plenty of attention over the years for their clever use of the pasta window.

But there is more going on here than simply showcasing a great product. At a time when consumers continue to demand transparency and have lost a lot of faith in brands, there is value in putting it all on display. When consumers are weary of shrinkflation, a visibly full package can earn trust. When diners think restaurants are using robots to reheat bags of processed food, an open kitchen or build-your-own line can make all the difference.

Best of LinkedIn

Do you follow Maeve and Mike on LinkedIn? From their #MondaySparks (three creative ideas to jumpstart the week) to their popular #FridayFive (five things they learned in the past week) and beyond, here are five posts that earned plenty of engagement last month:

  1. What happened when strangers spent 30 minutes talking to each other?

  2. How the MAori concept of tUrangawaewae (how the characteristics of a place define the people) can inspire an innovation philosophy.

  3. 40% of global teens now limit their own screen time.

  4. The popularity of matcha and our responsibility as an industry.

  5. These chips are inspired by a 9-volt battery.

You can catch every #FridayFive, #MondaySparks, and more from Maeve and Mike on LinkedIn. Follow Maeve here and Mike here.

Let’s Meet Up

  • Orange, CA - August 25-27 - Client Event

  • Denver, CA - September 17-19 - Client Event

  • Kansas City, MO - October 6-8 - Client Event

  • Ossining, NY - November 11-13 - The Science of Meetings

  • New York, NY - December 4 - New York Produce Show Foodservice Forum

The Menu Matters Podcast Is Here!

We know, does the world really need ANOTHER podcast?

But we felt like there was a place for those messy, thorny conversations that aren't easily answered. Will GLP-1s spell the end of snack foods? How much protein is too much protein?

These are the questions that have a lot of nuance - there's no single correct answer and every choice has a trade-off. In a complicated world that demands easy answers and sound bites, these are the topics that deserve thoughtful consideration, data-backed research, and maybe even a little debate. That's how The Mess Hall was born.

This episode's first topic: have we overdosed on nostalgia?

Our incredible first guest Chase Obenchain dives into the conversation with us, unpacking when nostalgia works and when it doesn't, the eras consumers are nostalgic for, the social media echo chamber, and the need for brands to take chances. Plus, Chase tackles our five questions, from his food industry pet peeve to something he changed his mind about (hint: it's a fruit).

And, in every episode Maeve and Mike will start by going deeper into a few of the LinkedIn FridayFive articles we've posted in the past month. In this episode we look at why Gen Z isn't partying and the decline of coupons.

We hope you'll give it a listen. You can find it on all of your favorite podcast platforms (Apple, Spotify, Amazon, Overcast).

Try This! Maeve & Mike’s Hot List

Delicious meals, excellent hotels, favorite products, thought-provoking books, great TV shows and movies — these are some of Maeve and Mike’s favorite recent discoveries.

“I love a good Wisconsin supper club: the old school atmosphere, the prime rib, the brandy old fashioneds with mushrooms, the ice cream drinks. We recently stopped at The Butterfly Club in Beloit, which has been serving customers for over a century. I had a perfectly-made gibson in the green velvet bar (only $8!) while a lounge singer serenaded us. Meanwhile, the flavorful and rare prime rib was only $34. It has a true sense of place that can be hard to find these days.” MIKE

“I love everything about cooking and baking, but one of my absolute favorite things is experimenting with making ice cream. I have a disturbing number of books to draw inspiration from and while I've got no business buying another I can highly recommend Morgenstern's Finest Ice Creams. The traditional recipes are great, as are the riffs, but some of the experimental versions are fantastic. I'm a big fan of Charred Banana. Also, less of a recommendation as much as an item for my wish list, I'm excited for the Food You Want To Eat cookbook by Thomas Straker to come out. In particular, I want to try the Fresh Gnocchi with Broad Beans and Pesto and Bone Marrow Butter. Sounds delicious.” MAEVE

"On a recent trip to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to learn about lentils, we had so many bites and drinks, but I ended up bringing three bottles back from Stumbletown Distilling. They really exemplify how you can be inspired by your surroundings. The Saskatchegin, for instance, features purple wheat, spruce tips, saskatoon berries, sea buckthorn, chokecherry, sour cherry, birch bark, and local hops. The snap pea gin is the essence of fresh snap peas, accented with cantaloupe and citrus. And the lentil whiskey used one of Saskatchewan’s staple grains in a bright-yet-earthy sip.” MIKE

Support Great Organizations

  • Maeve and Mike recently had the chance to speak to Hacienda Community Development Corp., a non-profit based in Portland, OR. This Latino-led organization advances social and economic mobility for all communities. Part of that mission includes Portland Mercado, Portland’s only Latino food market that also acts as a business support platform and commissary kitchen. If you are in Portland, stop by the market, or support their mission wherever you are by donating today.

  • The Arkansas Food Innovation Center at the Market of the Ozarks, which Mike proudly serves on the advisory committee for, recently opened its 45,000-square-foot processing facility in Springdale, AK. The gorgeous facility offers a shared-use commercial kitchen, food processing and bottling facilities, educational workshops, and entrepreneurial assistance to foster the success of small businesses in Northwest Arkansas. If you’ll be nearby, check out their Savor the Ozarks Dinner Series, or from afar you can support their scholarship or Greatest Need programs.

  • Will you be looking for a marketing or product management professional soon? Keep track of the MS marketing students in Dr. Brenda Renee’ Turner’s Product and Brand Management course at Georgia State University. Menu Matters and Monin presented on product development and trends to the class recently, which the students used to create new beverage products based on consumer needs and Monin syrups. You can see one finished project here. Some of the other drinks that were developed included Sedona, a wellness-focused, carbonated soft drink with flavors like strawberry, lime, and spiced agave, and Haldi Fizz, a plant-based option with the bold flavors of turmeric, ginger, and lime.

Maeve Webster
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Menu Matters Monthly Minute | June 2025