The Food Theorists

Yes, Matthew Patrick — better known as MatPat — launched Food Theory in 2020 as an extension of his Theory channel network, which already included Game Theory and Film Theory. MatPat stepped back from the channels in early 2024, but Food Theory has continued publishing under the broader Theoryverse brand.

After MatPat announced his retirement from YouTube in early 2024, the Food Theory channel carried on with the production team behind the Theoryverse network. The show keeps the same deep-dive investigative format MatPat built, applying it to fast food chains, food myths, and brand exposés.

The Theoryverse is the umbrella brand covering all of MatPat's theory-style YouTube channels — Game Theory, Film Theory, Food Theory, Style Theory, and the live-stream channel GTLive. Food Theory is the food-focused arm, using the same evidence-based, pop-culture format to dissect everything from fast food giants to snack science.

Yes, the Grimace Shake is one of Food Theory's most prominent recent topics, with dedicated content and heavy use of hashtags like #grimaceshake and #grimacesbirthday. The McDonald's Grimace Shake exploded on social media in summer 2023 when people filmed horror-style reaction videos, and Food Theory leaned fully into the viral moment.

Food Theory posted a video making the case that Pringles technically qualify as a dessert, which is a perfect example of the channel's signature style — using food science, ingredient breakdowns, or legal definitions to reach a deliberately counterintuitive conclusion. Arguing something shocking about an everyday snack is central to what Food Theory does.

The video investigates something deceptive or misleading about a specific McDonald's — consistent with the channel's long-running pattern of exposing surprising truths behind the world's most recognizable fast food brand. McDonald's has been a recurring subject for Food Theory, appearing across videos on menu secrets, mascots, and brand history.

Food Theory published a video titled "Is This the DEATH of Starbucks?" examining serious pressures the coffee chain faces, which fits the channel's broader habit of stress-testing whether iconic food and beverage brands are really as stable as they seem. The Starbucks video is part of a pattern of "decline" investigations the channel runs across major fast food and coffee companies.

In "How Gas Stations Are KILLING Fast Food," Food Theory makes the case that upgraded convenience store food — think high-quality hot meals and name-brand options at gas station chains — is pulling customers away from traditional fast food drive-throughs. The channel uses economic and cultural food trends like this to argue that the fast food industry faces threats most people overlook.

Recent Food Theory sponsors have included Beyond Meat, Olipop, Zocdoc, Home Chef, and Chime. The mix leans toward food, health, and lifestyle brands — a natural fit for an audience that is deeply engaged with what they eat, where it comes from, and how food companies operate.

Food Theory has well over five million subscribers on YouTube, placing it in the Mega tier of creators. Its engagement runs well above the category average, which is notable for a channel of that scale, and it maintains an active presence on Instagram as part of the wider Theoryverse social footprint.