MENU MATTERS - Key Persons
Maeve Webster, President of Menu Matters, has been a go-to thought leader, consultant, and trend expert in the food industry for 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, opportunity assessment, trend prioritization and implementation, and operational efficiency efforts.
She is a sought-after speaker for everything from targeted internal meetings to large industry events such as Flavor Experience, the RCA Conference, and VIBE, to name a few.
Maeve has an MBA from the University of Illinois, a culinary degree from the Le Cordon Bleu program, honed her skills at two large industry research firms, and for 4 years ran a successful café/bakery business in Bennington, VT, which was named "best café" in each of the years it was in operation.
An endlessly creative trends expert who challenges conventional thinking and leads clients forward.
Mike Kostyo, Vice President of Menu Matters, has been one of the most sought-after voices and trend experts in the food industry for over a decade. He loves working one-on-one with clients to think critically about the industry, trends, and research and create those moments where "suddenly it all makes sense." A relentlessly inquisitive researcher and creative thinker, he works collaboratively with clients to craft their future story together.
Kostyo has been a recurring guest on Fusion TV's "The A.V. Club" show; has been featured on NBC News, CBS Radio and Gimlet Media's "Why We Eat What We Eat" podcast; is regularly featured in newspapers and magazines; speaks at numerous conferences across the country; and was a judge on Food Network's "Eating America." For nearly 11 years, Mike elevated and transformed the reports at a large foodservice research and data firm.
Kostyo has a master's in Gastronomy from Boston University, plus certificates in the culinary arts, baking arts, wine, and artisan cheese production. He combines that with his previous experience that includes an undergraduate degree in journalism and career in political communications. He's also a board member and the treasurer of the International Foodservice Editorial Council. Based in Chicago, IL, he's also a freelance writer for multiple industry publications in his spare time.