How Storytelling Impacts Food and Hospitality Brand Authenticity


In the market today, Consumers are no longer satisfied with just the product or service they are receiving; consumers crave connection, trust, loyalty, recognition. For many hospitality and food brands, this means moving beyond menus, and logos to share authentic and true meaningful stories that will reflect its values and identity. Storytelling is a powerful tool that is used primarily to create authenticity within brands, helping businesses, and individuals stand out in a crowded industry by appealing to consumers emotions rather than just the transactions. I asked 5 industry experts what their thoughts were on how the power of storytelling impacts the authenticity of food and hospitality brands within the industry; How are consumers reacting to these brands in a way where it will build trust and keep them coming back?

Kyle Riviere a social media content coordinator and CIA graduate, shared “With a story you can connect and engage audiences. Would you rather buy white bread on the shelf, or some nonnas loaf of bread that “traveled from the rolling hills of the French countryside.” With a story we can connect and sometimes resonate a piece of ourselves with our customers drawing them in to choose us over the basics. It informs our customers of our backstory, and it gives them a taste of our culture. Food is a shared culture.Cibus Vitea Est ”

Jerail Fennell , MSM graduate and Marketing Communications Practitioner shared “ I today’s ever-changing world, storytelling is the heart and soul of marketing. A story can do more for a a brand than any advertisement could. It’s authentic and it builds trust with your audience and consumers”

Peggy Li a CEO & Chief Troubleshooter, Strategic Business Consultancy shared “Storytelling is essential in any successful branding, as consumers/audience need to find a sound reference point that they can echo be coherent with. This then creates a sense of belonging and association, and the brand would stick and turn into advocacy. For hospitality, fundamentally, it touches two of the Human being's essential needs: Food and dwelling. Storytelling is even more essential to give a sense of trust, safety, and comfort. In particular with food, as we all know, this is not only to fuel you as a person but also as comfort, as a memory of it being subjective, it creates great spikes of innovation and development, which is why there are all these world-renowned awards such as Michelin stars and World 50 Best.”

John McConnell Professor at The Culinary Institute of America “In my experience, I believe that storytelling is an effective way to communicate; it is one of the tools I frequently use in my classroom. I believe that it can help a hospitality brand connect with an audience as storytelling has been an effective communication tool throughout human history, especially origin stories. The key is authenticity; the story must resonate. If the storyteller is perceived as insincere, the audience may feel that they are being manipulated. Mr. M. “

Alexa Cunzolo MSM graduate Marketing and social media coordinator shared “Storytelling helps hospitality brands transform simple stays or meals into memorable, emotionally resonant experiences. When a brand shares authentic stories, whether about its heritage, the people behind the service, or the unique guest journey, it builds trust and creates a sense of belonging. The most impactful storytelling in this industry is rooted in authenticity and guest experience, making customers feel personally connected and eager to return.”

The insight from these industry professionals makes one thing very clear: storytelling isn't just some marketing tactic, or an accessory better yet it is the essence of how hospitality and food brands build authenticity. Whether a chef is recounting the heritage of an ingredient, a hotel showcasing the personal stories of its team, or a brand highlighting its customers journey, stories bring about belonging, trust, and the emotional connection. Authenticity emerges when brands tell stories that are true to who they are, not what they are thinking will just appeal to customers. Professor McConnell cautioned, stories that were not sincere stories risk alienating audiences rather than attracting them. Jerail Fennell and Alexa Cunzolo noted, authentic stories will create basic services into experiences that customers will remember and return to. The future of hospitality and food branding is going to boil down to not how loud brands advertise but how they tell honest stories that will resonate with people. Storytelling is all about curating relationships that feel authentic, true and enduring.