After layoffs hit Eater, a group of former staffers began talking about their next move. Then came an idea. “Somebody mentioned, ‘Is this when we start our own website?’” recalled Courtney E. Smith. She didn’t need convincing. She was immediately on board. That idea became Ravenous, a subscriber-supported food and culture publication launched in May by five former Eater journalists who say food media has become too reliant on search traffic, social media algorithms and advertiser-driven incentives.