Menu Matters Monthly Minute | March 2026

Written By Maeve Webster

Fool me once.

Tomorrow is April Fool’s Day, which means plenty of brands will unveil their silly stunts and pranks. Some will be genuinely clever, surprising, and on-brand. Most will not.

For too many companies, April Fool’s Day has become another forced opportunity on the marketing calendar that results in lazy social media posts that people immediately see through. After scrolling through dozens of these, after deleting an endless stream of emails with subject lines like “We’re Changing Our Name to Cats ‘R’ Us,” they can’t wait for the day to be over.

Indeed, anti-April Fool’s Day posts have themselves been trending in recent years. It’s no wonder. These low-effort “campaigns” sit at the intersection of numerous trends — the annoyance at having to question everything we see online (which is partly why our Need of the Year is to give people “something real”), the feeling that brands keep co-opting culture to make a quick buck, the same-ification of everything as we all cycle through the same trends and memes, the forced informality that comes across as condescending, and the refusal to see people as people not customers (which is the subject of our most recent podcast episode).

People are starting to push back. The “silence, brand” meme pops up more and more often when brands force themselves into social conversations. “Maybe you should focus on product recalls,” said a commenter on one brand’s recent March Madness post.

It doesn’t mean you can’t create any marketing campaigns that are fun and playful. But it does mean you should consider every marketing “opportunity” with a critical eye. Does this feel genuine? Does this show respect? Is this something that could only come from us? Does this cut through the noise or add to it?

In fact, those are lessons that apply to releasing almost anything into the world, from menu items to CPG products to your next email.

Maeve, Mike, and Shelley

DID YOU KNOW?

Over half of consumers say there’s too much advertising in modern life.

Every day it becomes harder and harder to escape advertising. This week Apple announced it would begin rolling out ads in their Maps app. Samsung is featuring ads on the screens of some of its refrigerators. You can’t even escape to the beach without seeing an ad. Or pick up an apple at the supermarket.

Advertisements. AI slop. New subscriptions. Emails. Text messages. Phone notifications. Relentless dings and alarms. Modern life is a cacophony of noise and annoyances.

How do you reach people in a genuine, more authentic and meaningful way? How do you reach them on their terms? How do you cut through the noise without simply being another, louder source of noise?

What We Learned

On LinkedIn, we start the week with our #MondaySparks (three creative ideas to jumpstart the week) and end the week with our #FridayFive (five things we learned in the past week). Here are five of the most popular posts from the past month:

 You can catch every #FridayFive, #MondaySparks, and more here and here.

Menu Matters in the News 

The 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.

Acamaya

“We had so many amazing meals on our recent trips to New Orleans and Denver, but I want to call out two dishes, in particular. In a city full of BBQ shrimp, Mr. B’s Bistro has a version that’s so rich and addicting I nearly went back again the next day in order to have it again (the fact that the recipe calls for 3 sticks of butter is what kept it a “once in a while” option). And the chochoyotes at the justly-lauded Acamaya (pictured) combine collard greens with crab, guanciale, and the eponymous Mexican dumplings. These little “belly buttons” are so tender and ethereal — a new-to-us option that we can’t stop talking about.” MIKE

“As many of you now know, I am a sucker for a unique boutique hotel. I had the pleasure to stay at the Hotel Saint Vincent in New Orleans in March. Like New Orleans, it has a very specific personality and embodies the combination of quick and old Southern charm that underlies so much of that city's culture. The property embraces gothic without feeling dark and forboding. It uses colors strategically and boldly throughout the halls and rooms. The food venues onsite each have their own unique feel, with fantastic service and delicious options. I won't lie - it is pricey, but it's worth it.” MAEVE

“As people continue to look for tangible, non-digital experiences, snail mail clubs have been growing across the country and around the world. I recently subscribed to Danny Penev’s Dear You which includes a recipe and original art print each month. I’ve also considered joining Mackinac Readhead’s snail mail club which offers a glimpse into living year-round on Mackinac Island. You can find more on Etsy, or search ‘snail mail club’ and your interest and you are sure to find something unique. It supports a small creator and it’s fun to get something in the mail that isn’t junk.” MIKE

“Closer to home (for me) is Brown's Brewing Co.'s Walloomsac Taproom. It's been years since we were there so we went last weekend. They converted an old riverside manufacturing facility, keeping the historic elements and the charm of that type of building. The menu has really evolved and everything we had was delicious, but the beer is the star. Their 500 Miles Scottish Ale is fantastic, and we went home with their stout and Irish ale (along with a couple of tulip glasses). Fair warning...getting there feels like you're being lured to some remote location for nefarious purposes, but it's worth the risk.” MAEVE

Where We’ll Be

Rethinking “consumer.”

The latest episode of the Menu Matters podcast — The Mess Hall, where we have messy conversations about the thorny topics that matter to the food and beverage industry — is here.

On this episode, Maeve and Mike 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 "consumer"? They trace the surprising political history of the term, debate what to replace it with, and explore how language across the industry, from "ethnic" cuisine to emoji-laden brand messaging to loyalty programs that inspire no actual loyalty, shapes the way real people feel seen, respected, and valued.

You can find it on all of your favorite podcast platforms (Apple, Spotify, Amazon, Overcast).

LISTEN NOW

Get Your Insights Immersion on the Calendar

Have you always wanted to host an in-market insights immersion for your team and/or clients? Now is your time to get it on the calendar for 2026.

There’s nothing quite like an in-market trend immersion to spark new ideas, bring data and insights to life, experience every sensorial aspect of a dining experience, and bring a team together to capture the imagination. But there’s also nothing quite like a Menu Matters immersive experience, which are designed to bring that “wow” factor, going beyond a simple tour to include pre-event engagement, guidance to get the most out of the event for each attendee and meet concrete goals, tools like bespoke apps to take the experience to the next level, and post-event follow-ups to keep the ideas flowing.

The goal is for attendees to not just leave having had a great social experience, but to push them to think anthropologically about the food and trend landscape, ultimately capturing ideas to share with internal teams and jumpstart future initiatives.

Reach out today to discuss pricing and options.

Maeve Webster
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Menu Matters Monthly Minute | February 2026