What's with the Pineapple?

Hulu's The Bear. Have you seen it? If you haven't, listen to the first 18 minutes of today's podcast episode, go binge all 10 episodes, and then come back for a full analysis of season two. Every second counts as Producer Joe joins Justin and Emily to discuss favorite episodes, themes, what the show gets right about the hospitality industry, product placements and more. We would be lying if we said some friendships didn't teeter on ending because of some of the opinions shared. Before the deep dive, all of the standard segments are covered talking about the Pure Michigan Mix, Taco Bell's latest marketing (per ususal), Toast's 99-cent fiasco and cocktails to go crossing the finish line. Fire up 10 beef. Turn your volume up. Let it rip, chef. 

Don't miss the season two soundtrack either: https://bit.ly/3O1uQq6

The National is not just a great dad rock indie band (according to Justin) it also embodies our robust travel schedule in June and the scope of much to be discussed on this episode of What's with the Pineapple. In a new format, the hosts hit For Fork’s Sake news first to talk through updates on the adopt-and-amend case that came out this week, what to expect from the legislature as things (hopefully?) wrap up for the summer, and how Justin’s DC trip went (3:55). Then it’s onto the “fun” topics: fake priests, Grimace’s birthday, T. Swift helping Detroit hotels cash in, the updated PPP eligibility guidelines and another generational debate about marketing and nostalgia. Somehow, we are still talking about Pete Davidson (16:17) . Following the theme of a new format, this episode wraps up with a recorded fireside chat between Justin and Chip Rogers, AHLA President & CEO, from last week’s AHLA On the Road Detroit event (28:40). 

​Presented by Fahey, Schultz, Burzych, Rhodes PLC. Find more information at https://fsbrlaw.com/

It’s us, hi, we’re the problem it’s us. Taylor Swift is coming to town, selling out Detroit, and Justin and Emily are not missing this opportunity to talk about their Swiftie status. While the entire episode could be about “T. Swizzle” the two hosts move past it to recap the Detroit Chamber Mackinac Policy Conference, Michigan’s success at the James Beard Awards earlier this week, and unfortunately Justin is proven right on the perennial QR code menu topic. They’re also talking about a laundry list of issues facing the industry at the Capitol in Lansing including budget targets to secure some workforce support for the industry as well as post labor day school start. Emily passes the mic to Justin to break down everything happening at the federal level as well: Credit Card Competition Act, the Essential Workers for Economic Advancement Bill and the Tipped Employee Protection Act. Detroit Free Press’ State Politics & Government Editor Emily Lawler joins the podcast to discuss her hot-takes on politics, growing Michigan’s population, gravel bikes, baking and so much more (28:08).

​Presented by Fahey, Schultz, Burzych, Rhodes PLC. Find more information at https://fsbrlaw.com/.

Listener’s ears will be thankful to hear that What’s with the Pineapple is back in a professional studio this week to welcome its first-ever elected official to the mic. Representative Graham Filler joins us (26:13) to discuss what it’s really like day-to-day to be a Michigan Legislator right now, how government can help (and back off) our hospitality industry, what his new bill allowing alcohol in college stadiums will do, and the lessons he learned from his community restaurants during COVID. We didn’t have so much Backstreet Boys talk on our bingo card for this interview, but alas, there was even some karaoke. Before Justin and Emily get to the interview they cover a backlog of segment content including coverage of the National Restaurant Show in Chicago, their summer jobs and the current teen employment landscape, what to expect as budgets are voted on in Lansing, and the personal conflict that is everyone in the world finding out about Mackinac Island. Listen in as you travel to your holiday weekend destination. Cheers to summer!

​Presented by Fahey, Schultz, Burzych, Rhodes PLC. Find more information at https://fsbrlaw.com/

Today’s What’s with the Pineapple podcast episode is a special edition as we record in-house for the first time during the MRLA’s annual Capitol Day (que the airhorn) and serve up four different interviews. Unfortunately, or more likely fortunately for most, Justin and Emily skip over the standard segments to instead talk with guests throughout the day about their meetings with legislators, their priorities to protect our industry, and other important topics like New Orleans compared to Pure Michigan and our favorite wing sauces.

Guest lineup:

• Quentin Messer, CEO of Michigan Economic Development Corporation (1:55)
• Peter Beukema, CEO & Co-Founder, 6PM Hospitality Partners (17:15)
• Jean Lanfear, Vice President of Human Resources, Patton Wings (29:50)
• Billy Downs, Franchise Partner, Ford’s Garage & MRLA Board Chairman (36:25)

Presented by Fahey, Schultz, Burzych, Rhodes PLC. Find more information at https://fsbrlaw.com/

Everyone’s finally back in the same room for this week’s episode with a lot of content to cover. Records are broken as Justin and Emily go national with the most topics discussed in the Pineapple Express (1:49) segment from California’s overturn of the gas-fueled kitchen equipment ban, Frankfort’s (Michigan, not Germany) approach to affordable housing, industry trends from the Restaurant Leadership Conference, and Justin admits (kind of?) that he was wrong about Pickleball. Emily and Justin also do a deep dive in For Fork’s Sake (18:50) on filing an amicus brief for the adopt and amend case with the Michigan Supreme Court, how Arizona is handling requirements for hotels to house homeless populations, and the new 17-bill package introduced to change employment laws. Like we said, a LOT of content. Dave Dittenber, President & CEO of Downtown Restaurant Investments and Co-Founder of Bring Your Own Data (BYOD) also joins the pod (29:24) to discuss the investment in approachable tech and balancing the people-first core of hospitality with the future needs of our industry. Meet Mabel: the world’s first virtual restaurant assistant. 

Presented by Fahey, Schultz, Burzych, Rhodes PLC. Find more information at https://fsbrlaw.com/

For the first time in the history of What’s with the Pineapple, Justin and Emily are not in the same room to record an episode of the pod. That doesn’t stop them from tackling what’s been happening in the industry over the last couple of weeks including the Starbucks Senate hearing (still waiting to secure Mr. Schultz as a guest), Guy Fieri’s presence in our Great Lakes State, and the onslaught of legislative priorities for the upcoming Capitol Day. Also for the first time in the history of the podcast, producer Joe actually agrees with Justin, which causes a near-walk out from Emily. We also take listeners to the Northern Michigan micropolis of Traverse City for an interview with Traverse City Tourism President & CEO, Trevor Tkach (23:03). The three discuss the tourism landscape in TC, the capacity for growth, the unique challenges faced in a region that contracts and expands in the tourism sector depending on the season, an important perspective on Pure Michigan, and round out with the most unique Lightning Round to date. Lastly, it’s April Fool’s Day, and if you thought that we forgot then this must be your first time listening to the podcast.

Presented to you by the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Fund! Learn more at mrlfund.org.

It's St. Patrick's Day and March Madness and a new What's with the Pineapple podcast episode... and still somehow not yet Spring! Justin and Emily charge straight ahead into the depths of content covering the topics of EV chargers at restaurants or hotels, Starbucks hot topics including CEO Howard Schultz testifying to a US Senate Committee on unions, if Lake Michigan should be drained completely (hint: Justin has passion on this one), bubble tea talk, and much more. The co-hosts really say For Forks Sake when delving into everything that's moving - so, so quickly - at the Capitol such as Cocktails To Go, Right to Work, and Predictive Scheduling while also providing an update on Ann Arbor's attempt at a gas ban. Saving the best for last: Melody Baetens Malosh, reporter and restaurant critic for The Detroit News, joins the podcast to talk about the city's restaurant scene, its renaissance, its state of being post-pandemic, and the garage band resurgence of the early 2000s. American or Lafayette? Listen in to find out.  

Presented to you by the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Fund! Learn more at mrlfund.org.

Your What’s with the Pineapple hosts are on the verge of a breakdown fueled by an upcoming office renovation, but despite all odds, bring you a new episode of the pod. What are you doing for The Big Game this weekend? Do you now what the term The Big Game means? Well, Justin doesn’t. Listen in as Justin and Emily have their high-quality audio back up and running to debate the hospitality industry’s hottest topics. Such as Valentine’s Day, Pete Davidson skyrocketing restaurant sales, and the subpar quality of Netflix (despite paying for 4K). The For Fork’s Sake segment (18:35) delivers an update on the governor’s budget proposals, the status of tax cuts or lack thereof, and the association’s support for the updates to the Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act. In honor of the highest of pineapple plaudits, the MRLA’s Distinguished Service Award 2023 winner, Jim Holton, joins in (24:25) to talk about his experience of going from college kid in Mount Pleasant to starting his own restaurant and being just the sixth microbrewery license in the state to owner of multiple restaurants and breweries in Mid-Michigan. Here’s to a round of HOPSpitality on us! 

Presented to you by the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Fund! Learn more at mrlfund.org.

Justin and Emily have a little bit of a rough start to the first podcast episode of the new year with some audio issues in the first half, but the interview with MRLA Chairman Paul Hess of Epoch (pronounced Epic) Hospitality is unaffected. If you turn up your volume to the max for the first 26 minutes of the episode, you’ll hear your What’s with the Pineapple hosts discuss the Court of Appeals 3-0 ruling that protects the tip credit (00:52), industry trends in the year ahead from hotel occupancy to non-alcoholic beverages (06:00), and pineapple plaudits from all the way in the Upper Peninsula (12:52). They end the segments by recapping the State of the State address, discussing the gas stove ban (or lack thereof) and the legislative priorities the industry should keep its eye on with a new legislature. The episode takes a significantly positive turn both in audio quality and guest as Paul Hess joins (28:13) to discuss his career from could-be “tech-giant” to hospitality industry leader, his lessons along the way, and his approach to leading an industry out of the pandemic and into an Epoch comeback.

Presented to you by the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Fund! Learn more at mrlfund.org.