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Food for thought: A restaurateur’s approach to socials, why Gen Z are turning away from their own trends, and the content that keeps Chef Rosy Scatigna coming back for seconds

Plus, Pepsi splurges on the health soda Poppi, why the 80s is back with a vengeance and a comedy club refusing entry to people with botox.

‘Viral’ might fill the room, but how do you keep it full?

The tension between virality and value, and the role of hospitality

There’s no simple answer, but at a time when virality is the currency of value, it’s worth asking where one ends and the other begins. John Rivera, Culinary Director and co-owner of Melbourne’s Askal warns young chefs that dishes built for the gram won’t generate the kind of prosperity a restaurant needs to keep its doors open.

Let’s rewind to 2006.

You and your closest friends have the night off, no plans, just a shared conviction tonight should matter. You trade up from premixes to a decent Malbec, heading out with one key question: Where to? Maybe somewhere recommended by a friend, blogger, or favourite critic – willing to dive into an unknown experience. While that was an imperfect method, is the consumer demand for experience driving us away from authenticity?  

Today, customers know exactly what to expect before they’ve even sat down: candle-lit tables, influencers framing the perfect shot sipping turmeric-adjacent cocktails. A single viral moment can fill tables overnight. But once the initial rush fades, what turns customers into regulars?

Real staying power isn't won through likes; it’s earned through consistent food, thoughtful service, and the way a space makes you feel before you even sit down. In other words: true hospitality isn't viral – it's intentional and authentic. Real placemaking turns buzz into something people come back for because it’s not about how quickly you fill a room, but how long you can keep it full.

PepsiCo just spent ~$2B on Poppi

From Shark Tank success to mainstream mega-deal - PepsiCo’s buyout of Poppi confirms prebiotic soda’s leap from wellness drink to grocery-store staple. Cool is easy when you’re the alternative. It’s trickier when you’re aisle three. The question now isn’t whether Poppi can scale, it’s whether it can stay culturally sharp while doing it.

Meanwhile, Gen Z is exhausted by the trend cycle

At the same time, a recent NYT piece flags Gen Z’s growing fatigue with rapid-fire trends. Micro-cores and viral drops burn out just as fast as they appear. The shift? Substance over surface. Meaning over novelty. And now we’re seeing something strange: brands that were once cast aside are being re-embraced, not out of nostalgia, but because they stuck. Staying power is having a comeback.

Jean-Georges helped shape NYC dining – but now he’s adapting to a new generation’s rhythms

The '80s are back – and they’re more than just a costume

Four Loko is rebranding for Gen Z. The party drink of the 2010s is growing up, sort of

This London comedy club now turns away guests with Botox. Is it a gimmick or for real? Either way, it’s a stance

Quick hits of insight

01
From online to IRL
They’re called ‘fourth spaces’: places designed for digital communities to meet IRL. Think meme accounts hosting panel talks, or supper clubs born in group chats. It’s not home, work, or a typical night out – it’s something in between.

02
Pizza’s new era
First we weren’t sure. Now it’s on the menu. The unlikely combo of pickles and hot honey is having its moment.

03
F1’s Fanbase is getting a makeover
Fuelled by Netflix and socials, Formula 1 is gaining speed with younger fans, especially Gen Z and women. In Australia, it’s evolving from popular sport to a full-blown cultural moment.

Example has a new online home and it’s a beauty

We’re so excited to share our brand new website. It’s a space that brings together everything we're proud of: our history, our people, and the work that makes Example what it is. It’s been eight big years, and seeing it all in one place feels pretty special. As the premier name in earned-led culture, we’re defined by strategic expertise, creative rigour, genuine passion and a challenger mindset – and now we’ve got the site to match.

Have a scroll and let us know what you think.

Rosy Scatigna

Development Chef at Accor

At 20, Rosy Scatigna was studying law in Puglia. A decade later, she’s the Development Chef at Accor—driven by a love of hospitality and storytelling through food. Her journey from courtroom to kitchen is rooted in memory, tradition and the joy of shared meals.

From April 7–12, that philosophy comes to life at Francesca at Georgie’s—a one-week gnocchi bar pop-up led by Rosy and presented by the award-winning Maybe Sammy team as part of the Maybe Cocktail Festival.

What’s something you came back to this month?

I rewatched The Grand Budapest Hotel. I hadn’t seen it in a while, and I just needed something that felt a little magical but also kind of sad in the best way. Wes Anderson’s world-building is so satisfying — every detail is so precise, but it never feels cold. It’s like comfort food for the eyes and the brain. 

What’s one thing you fully finished?

I finally read every single Haruki Murakami book. It’s been a slow burn over the years, but I wrapped up the last one this month. Some books hit harder than others, but finishing them all felt like closing a long, surreal chapter of my life.

What’s a piece of culture that surprised you by how much it stuck?

I read In Search of Lost Time about 10 years ago — it’s this huge novel by Marcel Proust — and there’s a part where the narrator eats a madeleine dipped in tea, and suddenly all these childhood memories come flooding back. That idea really stuck with me. At the time I didn’t realise how real that was, but now, working in food, I feel it all the time. A smell, a flavour, even a texture — it can bring you back to a moment you forgot you remembered.

What’s something that isn’t new, but still holds up and still has your attention?

Radiohead. I keep coming back to them, and they never miss. In Rainbows, OK Computer — still feel so good, no matter how many times I’ve heard them. It’s like the soundtrack for every version of my life.

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