Before a brand makes an announcement about a new release officially, @markie_devo is already hitting post on Instagram. By the time a new snack is out on shelves, his followers have already seen all the details.
Instead of breaking news about politics or sports, this account covers chips, cookies, coffee drops, and drive-thru launches with the same urgency as the final seconds of the Super Bowl or even the presidential election. And Mark Vayntraub, the man behind the account, isn’t talking to no one; more than 200,000 followers are tuned in. Scroll through the feed, and you will find a steady stream of updates about major brands — weekly flavor reveals from Crumbl, custom drink hacks and seasonal launches at Starbucks, limited-time menu drops at McDonald’s, or even surprise collaborations from Oreo. It is not just snack news; it has turned into a snack culture. These posts about releases are hitting his feed before brands officially announce them to the public.
But his passion for food content did not begin when he created the account. It started when he was a kid. “I grew up in the food industry,” Vayntraub told Spoon University. “My grandfather owned a candy store when I was a kid. I used to work there with him and learn about all the new candy and how the business ran.”
As a teenager, he worked at a supermarket, first as a stock boy before becoming a receiving manager. This job allowed him to meet brand representatives and exposed him to the larger business side of the food world. When he saw new products hitting the shelves, he would text his friends about them. They were the ones who encouraged him to post the updates on Instagram.
Although he ended up leaving the world of marketing for medical school, he has consistently posted about food for ten years.
Over that decade, he has gained thousands of followers. All are waiting to see what he has to share next, and where they can find it. While he used to attempt to keep up with the rush, he said his new focus is accuracy.
“I used to speed post to keep up with other pages,” he said. “Now I want to put out the most accurate info as possible.”
His shift from speed to accuracy shapes how he builds the posts. Vayntraub starts his day by checking his emails and DMs. Here is where he finds news about releases from brands themselves, store workers, and fans. After getting this information, he confirms the details by reaching out to brand representatives and asking about the timeline of the release.
Yet, he is not alone in this space. Other food accounts, such as Snackolator, work similarly by monitoring and posting about product releases. It has become a mini industry. But Vayntraub brings his own voice to this world by blending quick updates and captions on photos that promote discussion in his comments.
So what fuels the hype? People love being first — first to try, first to post, first to review. Vayntraub gives followers that “insider” feeling. And let’s be honest, when you watch someone else talk about food or even try it, it suddenly makes you want to put your shoes on and run to buy the same treat.
After ten years in this space, he has also seen the downsides to people attempting to start a food blog.
“Some are in it for the likes and are spreading false info. I also feel we have to somehow put restrictions on AI-run accounts,” he said. “These accounts are mimicking food news gathered by Google and twisting the accurate info. If this continues into the future it can hurt the industry by spreading false misinformation.”
In a space where misinformation spreads quickly, he avoids it by slowing down and fact-checking. And when a product disappoints fans, he is always quick to welcome any kind of criticism.
“All criticism is good criticism. I love to hear others’ opinions. As for locations running out of products after I post, that kinda bothers me, but I do my best,” he said.
Even with the challenges he faces, he is not slowing down anytime soon. When asked what is next for him, he offered a little hint.“I have plans, but I’ll keep that under wraps for now,” he said.