Podcast Summary: Marketing Vanguard

Episode: How Feast & Fettle's Alon Rivel is Building a Regional Food Empire
Date: October 27, 2025
Host: Jenny Rooney, Adweek
Guest: Alon Revelle, CMO at Feast & Fettle

Episode Overview

This episode features Alon Revelle, Chief Marketing Officer of regional meal delivery company Feast & Fettle. The discussion centers on building a sustainable, intentional food business that focuses on community, quality, and authentic brand values over rapid, nationwide expansion. Alon shares his unconventional path into marketing, the unique position of Feast & Fettle in a crowded meal delivery market, and his approach to leadership and storytelling as the company’s first CMO.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Alon’s Personal and Professional Journey

• Untraditional Path to Marketing

  • Began in traditional TV media buying in NYC, then moved into media planning at NYT, sales at Bloomberg, and eventually tech/product marketing in various B2C apps including massage and dating apps (01:29–03:32).
  • Discontent with the cutthroat, bottom-line-incentivized environment of private-equity-owned tech led him to seek a business with a tangible, meaningful product.
  • "I'm a very, like, outwardly, like, I don't fit into the corporate mold and I needed to do something different." (02:44, Alon)

• “Getting It” in Marketing

  • Attributes his marketing gut to experiences as a gay, Israeli Jew growing up in NYC; the need to read people for survival turned into empathy and intuition for what consumers need (04:23–05:52).
  • On surviving and thriving in marketing: "The ones who survive are the ones who get it. And I think I get it." (04:05, Alon)

Feast & Fettle: Brand, Product, and Ethos

• About the Company

  • Founded ~10 years ago; Alon joined as CMO just over a year ago (06:02).
  • Focused on the Northeast with slow, intentional growth (not “growth at all costs”). Acquired two companies, just launched NYC (06:02–06:58).
  • “We grow with intentional growth. We're not focusing on conquering the US… That's where a lot of companies get it wrong.” (06:11, Alon)

• Product Distinction

  • Locally sourced, real meals, prepared fresh weekly; short shelf life underscores authenticity (07:05–07:38).
  • Operates primarily via membership (subscription) but with à la carte options. Flexible family/couple/kid plans emphasize ease and personalization unlike “Hungry Man box” competitors (07:43–08:51).
  • All staff get food for free: "We all live by the food. Like literally, it's not just for our members, it's for us." (07:17, Alon)

Differentiation and Market Positioning

• Against Fads & Cheap Growth

  • Revelle critiques “food porn” marketing and trend-chasing (e.g., GLP-1 meal plans) for missing the real pain point: saving customers time, not just providing food (09:21–10:25).
  • "Time is what people who use us need… not have the mental load of cooking, cleaning, what's for dinner." (09:31, Alon)

• Hospitality as a Brand Pillar

  • Double-down on hospitality, not automation. Rejects overuse of AI in customer communications.
  • "AI is my assistant. It's not what my member needs. They want authenticity… everything needs to feel like that." (10:32–12:05, Alon)
  • Customer service remains deeply human, with personal touches from delivery through follow-up.
  • "Our drivers will literally go open doors for people and put things in their fridge… You don't see that anywhere else anymore. That's how we win." (11:44, Alon)

Regional Focus & Growth Philosophy

• Deliberate Regional Growth

  • Staying regional preserves quality and community mindshare—rapid national expansion can dilute both (13:33).
  • "If we can't [perfect the model], we're not going to go launch California… It's intentional. I call it slow growth. It's not no growth." (13:33–13:50, Alon)
  • Opening a second kitchen on the East Coast, exemplifying focus over scale.

• B2B Aspects: Local Sourcing & Community Engagement

  • In addition to members, B2B relationships are critical—with suppliers and local artisans for select, seasonal, or culturally significant offerings (14:11–16:03).
  • Example: Sourcing special matzo balls with local partners for Rosh Hashanah, using food marketing to build community and create shared cultural moments.

Leadership & Brand Storytelling

• First CMO Role at Feast & Fettle

  • Hired to formalize brand storytelling after early word-of-mouth and pandemic growth (16:34–18:03).
  • "They were at a point… we’re doing all this good stuff, but we're not talking about it." (16:48, Alon)
  • His job was to “pour fire on the gasoline”—to amplify existing brand story and operationalize storytelling.

• Brand as Lived Experience

  • The executive team “lives” the brand, consciously aligning personal and company values.
  • Example: New food donation partnership with the Ali Forney Center, providing weekly meals for LGBTQ+ youth in crisis, tied directly to Alon's own experiences (19:05–19:49).
  • Culture of inclusivity and second chances—from internal policies supporting kitchen workers with incarceration histories, to generous staff benefits (19:49–20:46).

• Not About Press—About Purpose

  • Alon shares how authenticity trumps PR spin:
  • "I don't care if we get no press for this… That's not why we're doing this. If we're going to anchor our program into what gets you press, we're not doing it." (21:06, quoting their COO)

Building & Leading Teams

• Team Restructuring

  • Scaled down an initially large but unfocused marketing team—prioritizing clear roles, strategic fit, and accountability (22:27–24:00).
  • CEO had previously “filled the gaps” among a loosely managed team; Alon’s arrival brought focus, freeing the founder to lead more effectively (23:19–24:00).

• Approach to Agencies & Creative

  • Prefers in-house creative for tighter brand control, citing agency relationships as a common tipping point for brands “losing their soul” after rapid scaling (24:04–25:03).

Marketing Tactics & Local Impact

• Hyperlocal Marketing

  • Unique approach: Focused, high-visibility tactics (like branded vans), saturating neighborhoods for recognition that bridges physical and digital contexts (25:10–26:15).

• Community-Driven Growth

  • Bespoke dinners, events, and real-world engagement create high loyalty and word-of-mouth—a “slow, but we win deeply” approach (26:16–26:34).

Future Vision

• Long-Term Aspirations
  • Sees Feast & Fettle becoming the “right hand operating system for your home”—progressively solving other domestic needs beyond dinner (26:42–27:07).
  • "We've solved dinner. What else are you outsourcing, and how do we do that for you?" (26:52, Alon)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The ones who survive are the ones who get it. And I think I get it.”
  (04:05, Alon)

• “Time is what people who use us need. Time to either be with their kids… just time to not have the mental load of cooking, cleaning, what's for dinner."
  (09:31, Alon)

• "AI is my assistant. It's not what my member needs. They want authenticity…everything needs to feel like that."
  (10:32, Alon)

• "We're so scared of losing that edge. We're not going to let that happen."
  (13:48, Alon, on not overexpanding)

• "I don't care if we get no press for this… That's not why we're doing this."
  (21:06, Alon, quoting COO, on donation initiatives)

• "When I came in, I was like, why are we using our vans in all of our ads? ...Because you see the van in the street and then suddenly you see an ad of the van on Facebook… There's also that old school idea of like, connecting the dots of what you're seeing out in the wild…"
  (25:10, Alon, on marketing tactics)

• On brand inspiration:
  “Aesop… Their brand is stunning. It's clean. They get it… and every single thing I have tried, I keep on spending more. My lifetime value is going up because I just want to be in there.”
  (27:26, Alon)

Important Timestamps for Segments

• Alon’s Career & Marketing Philosophy: 01:29–05:52
• Feast & Fettle Model, Membership, Sourcing: 06:02–08:51
• Market Differentiation, Time-as-Currency: 09:21–10:25
• Hospitality > Tech, AI Use: 10:32–12:05
• Intentional vs Rapid Growth: 13:33–13:50
• Community Engagement & Partnerships: 14:11–16:03
• Storytelling, Brand as Lived Experience: 16:34–20:46
• Approach to PR and Marketing Team: 21:06–24:00
• Agency & Marketing Tactics: 24:04–26:16
• Future Vision of Feast & Fettle: 26:42–27:07
• Brand Admiration (Aesop): 27:26–28:41

Conclusion

This episode offers a vivid look at Feast & Fettle’s unique approach to food delivery and brand-building, all driven by Alon Revelle’s personal values and leadership style. The conversation is a deep dive into purposeful, regional growth and hospitality-centric marketing that intentionally resists “growth for growth's sake,” offering practical lessons for marketers and founders looking to build brands that last—and truly matter to their communities.