What's with the Pineapple?

Justin and Emily couldn’t let the year end without one final episode to celebrate the one year anniversary of the podcast! It truly is the Return of Mac(k) as we welcome back MRLA’s Vice President of Government Affairs, John McNamara, to break down what happened – or more accurately, what did not happen – during Lame Duck at the Capitol this year as well as what to expect legislatively in 2023. Jo...

Hopefully your BeReal alert catches you while you’re listening to the newest podcast episode today. Speaking of, what is BeReal? Emily breaks it down for Justin, how it could be used by industry, and furthers the generational divide between the two hosts. They also discuss the jobs data released for October and get into a deep debate on Daylight Savings Time. The curtain drops a bit as well as the...

In our latest episode, we travel all the way to the Upper Peninsula, somehow a place Emily has never....seriously, never.....been to in her entire life to learn about Marquette and the historic Landmark Inn with special guest Stefanie Congdon. Emily spends too much time talking about pickleball (again) before turning to a "saucy" new promotion from KFC and a more substantive discussion on consumer...

Did you know that the fastest growing segment of pickleball players is ages 8-18 and 19-28 year olds? Did you know that Justin is too good for the game? Listen in as Justin and Emily cover all things pickleball, fall activities, and what’s happening in Lansing this week as the House and Senate floor lights finally get turned back on. They also have their first Q&A segment that Emily has been t...

Hospitality professionals might think Smith Travel Research or possibly Short-Term Rental when they see the acronym STR. But to MSU and U of M grads and all others who seek to be forever young, STR can only mean one thing... Straight to Rick's! Thomas “Dewey” Bramson, President & Owner of Equity-Vest, which owns college town staples such as Rick’s, Harrison Roadhouse (and yes, the Roadhouse Pu...

Justin and Emily are back from a week on Mackinac Island, you know, the #1 Island in the Continental U.S. and today’s episode shakes things up a bit by starting with a breakdown of this week’s Court of Claims ruling on the adopt-and-amend strategy for minimum wage and paid sick leave in 2018. The podcast then welcomes Patrick Theisen from KMC Strategies and American’s for a Modern Economy to discu...

In the first podcast episode of the summer, Justin and Emily match the temperature outside by discussing several hot topics: Pork of July, er, 4th of July plans, gas prices, an analysis of the current economic state of the industry, Little Caesars taking over the NFL, and Justin finally losing his cool about QR codes. Hint: he hates them and he doesn’t care who knows it. After calming down, the tw...

Mental Health Awareness Month takes center stage in today's episode as Justin and Emily welcome Mickey Bakst, Co-Founder & Executive Director of Ben's Friends, a support group for members of the food and beverage industry battling substance abuse and addiction. Mickey shares the history of Ben's Friends, the experience one can expect from being a part of it, how operators can support their tea...

In this Mother’s Day preview edition of the pod, Justin and Emily skip the always-highly-anticipated episode segments and instead jump right into welcoming Lansing insiders John Sellek of  Harbor Strategic Public Affairs  and Adrian Hemond of  Grassroots Midwest  for an in-depth 2022 election preview. The discussion covers the innumerable competing narratives that will impact this election before...

Spending 45 years in Michigan’s hospitality industry produces a lot of insight. Today’s episode takes listeners to where Detroit-Style Pizza was born by welcoming Wesley Pikula, Chief Brand Officer of Buddy’s Pizza, to the mic. Wesley started working for the famous Detroit brand at age 17 and discusses what he’s learned, how to get back to the basics to welcome in new workforce, and what lies ahea...

After a longer than usual delay (with few noticing frankly), Justin and Emily are back to discuss MRLA Capitol Day, the emotional return of the statewide ProStart competition, why cabbage is a St. Patrick’s Day loser and what’s happening around the Capitol during a very busy legislative session. We then searched the world for the best possible guest and found him right down the hall! MRLA’s Vice P...

In the newest episode of What’s with the Pineapple? Justin and Emily take listeners up north, onto a ferry (or plane, or ice bridge), across Lake Huron and onto Michigan’s most treasured tourism destination: Mackinac Island. Liz Ware joins the podcast from her family-owned Mission Point Resort property to share the unique experiences that come with operating on an island, her thoughts on H-2B visa...

In our third episode we welcome  Align Public Strategies  founding partner Joe Kefauver and managing partner Franklin Coley for a deep dive into the quickly changing landscape around labor organizing in the hospitality sector. We analyze the ubiquitous NLRB filings tied to Starbucks (including Michigan) and debate whether this recent trend will create a tectonic shift that will forever change the...

Emily and Justin are back against all odds for a second episode to discuss how Omicron is “like a swift kick to the *&^% “ according to one brutally honest operator quoted in Restaurant Business magazine. They also discuss a big advocacy win for the MRLA that will help afflicted restaurants and hotels, the possibility of yet another ballot proposal seeking to eliminate the tip credit in Michig...

MRLA's Justin Winslow and Emily Daunt launch the first-ever podcast from the Association, curiously entitled "What's with the Pineapple?". In this inaugural episode listeners learn the origins of the name, why it is critically important to get it right and then Justin and Emily provide an industry and government affairs update. Then, visionary restaurateur, Jeremy Sasson, of Heirloom Hospitality s...