“Kansas City’s guide to food, drink, places, and people” is the slogan that sits under the masthead of Jennifer and Gordon Roe’s magazine “Tastebud.” The East parents decided to start the publication six years ago to broaden people’s knowledge of what the city has to offer in food, places to eat and people to meet in the surrounding area.
“It is a resource for people who want recipes and who want to support local business and food producers,” Jennifer said.
When Jennifer and her husband decided to begin the magazine, she and her husband, Gordon, had the knowledge and skills to start a publication on their own. Jennifer had experience working with people, editing and planning from her work as a teacher and grant writer. Gordon worked in sales, so he knew how to manage people and money for his as role of publisher. While the magazine is a large part of the Roe family, the work doesn’t affect their daily lives, aside from trying out the occasional recipe or helping Jennifer decide on a cover image.
“I think I have grown up knowing what foods to eat and what are good foods,” junior Caroline Roe, Jennifer and Gordon’s daughter, said. “We don’t eat out a whole lot and if we do it’s at a smaller places, not like Applebee’s.”
The magazine itself consists of a variety of sections such as “Ask the Expert” and “Table Hopping”. Each month there is an overall theme to the magazine, which usually corresponds to the time of year. Jennifer is the one who picks the theme each month. Then she works with the photographer, art director and writers, to decide the design and content of each issue. Jennifer also makes the final decisions on what goes into the magazine.
As it’s gotten older, the magazine readership has increased to 45,000 readers per issue and is distributed in more 150 locations.
With this growth, “Tastebud” has added a website to the publication which helps to expand the reader base. It gives the reader the ability to search for recipes, look at past issues read articles and learn more about the magazine. The website also gives the user the ability to sign up for a free e-newsletter. The magazine also uses the social media platforms of Twitter and Facebook to connect with readers and keep them up to date.
Contributors range from foodies, restaurant and shop owners to cooks. They write reviews, give tips and tricks and share insight and recipes with readers. All of these articles correspond with a section and the theme of the magazine.
Tastebud partners with local businesses to distribute the magazine and help to spread recipes. Many businesses and services advertise with the magazine as well.
“We try to have them [Tastebud] in the places where our readers are most likely to go and so they are at all the Hen Houses, a few Price Choppers, then just other places around city,” Jennifer said.
As “Tastebud” magazine continues to grow in the community, the Roe’s will be the reason that people learn about what to eat, how to eat and where to buy it.
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