The Mess Hall

How can we design a better restaurant?

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 design, and how to tell a story in the design of a restaurant. Plus, in our five questions, she talks about the Western novel that had her by the throat.

Does the food industry have a language problem?

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 "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.

Who decides what your food tastes like?

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 bottle? Plus, we start the episode discussing the joy of cooking and what it means for the food industry. And in our five questions, Chef Cheely tells us her food industry pet peeve.

What does tracking serial killers have to do with understanding cereal bars?

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 show we talk about why Dubai chocolate may cheat on his wife with a muffin, why the food industry is one giant crime scene, and the 2026 trend she thinks is way off base. And, in our five questions, she tells us her top pet peeve, which is related to potatoes...

What do consumers want in 2026?

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 a world of AI slop and general distrust, how can brands and companies showcase the real human-focused ideas, solutions, ingredients, and products that will resonate in the year ahead? We also look at the five sub-trends that can help you solve for this need, from cutting through the noise to making food experiences more meaningful.