What's with the Pineapple?

You can't spell "reunited" without... well, actually you can, but Emily's back anyway to defend the podcast segments after Justin's three-episode soundboard discovery tour. The duo kicks off with the 1835 Toledo War where Michigan traded a swampy Ohio strip for the entire Upper Peninsula (clear winner: Michigan), before diving into why Pure Michigan's $17 million budget is an embarrassment when Wisconsin is eating our lunch with better marketing dollars. Airbnb thinks slapping a 3% tax on hotels and short-term rentals that funds literally anything except tourism is "parity" – cute, but no. Between celebrating Michigan-based pizza dominance that nobody talks about enough, Jo...

Justin welcomes the Vice President of Industry Relations at Broadcast Music Inc (BMI) Vice, Dan Spears, to share what makes BMI different than other Performance Rights Organizations (PRO’s) and how their partnership with the MRLA provides meaningful value and transparency for members. Dan also welcomes BMI artist and fellow Michigander Julianne Ankley to share her experience working with the company before making What’s with the Pineapple podcast history as its first musical performance. Julianne was nothing short of great, but clearly we at the MRLA have work to do in the studio before welcoming any more acoustical gues...

Justin welcomes back Adrian Hemond of Grassroots Midwest and John Sellek of Harbor Strategic Public Affairs who jointly share their inside the Lansing beltway expertise under the moniker “Baldly Bipartisan”. The trio discuss the status of the 2026 governor’s race in Michigan, with a real focus on the impact that independent candidate Mike Duggan has had on the dynamics before previewing the open US Senate seat and potential constitutional convention. They wrap the interview by predicting outcomes of the hotly partisan standoff on the state budget, which could result in a government shutdown if Republican Speaker of the House Matt H...

Ooh baby baby, it’s a wild world! Justin labored to handle the podcasting duties solo this week because beloved co-host Emily went into labor and welcomed baby Lenora Joyce “LJ” into the world. Team MRLA is ecstatic and committed to carrying the torch forward in her temporary absence, but let this pod be your official declaration to manage expectations accordingly! Justin tries out a new segment that somehow features Tiger Woods, Hootie and the Stanley Cup before a seamless(-ish) segue into tariffs and a big win in Washington D.C. on the tip credit. Justin then welcomes MRLA B...

While Emily hasn't gone on leave quite yet, Justin takes the helm with production control and an impressive arsenal of sound effects buttons to break down the massive tax legislation signed into law over Fourth of July weekend. After celebrating National Kitten Day and pitching "Detroit Does" as the new WNBA team name, the co-hosts dive into local wins including Detroit City Council streamlining business licensing and Cameron Mitchell's $13 million Big Rock Italian Chophouse remake in Birmingham. The real star is Aaron Frazier from the National Restaurant Association, who explains how the new tax law delivers generational opportunities for...

With Emily preparing for a hiatus and Justin's podcast equipment training going about as well as expected, the duo tackles the hospitality industry's latest existential crisis: customers who literally can't finish their food. Dr. Wesley Tucker from Texas Women's University explains the GLP-1 revolution that has 15-20 million Americans eating 800-1000 fewer calories daily while shifting spending from processed foods to items like Greek yogurt. The conversation covers everything from two-beer nights becoming the new normal to some restaurants already rolling out "GLP-1 friendly" menus. Between tip credit referendum updates, Michigan Central's new hotel development, and whether operators should...

Justin and Emily are fully caffeinated and slightly unhinged to tackle a lineup of industry challenges both perennial and unprecedented. Justin and Emily celebrate Plymouth Canton's second-place ProStart national finish before diving into the hospitality industry's latest headaches – from Pure Michigan funding stuck in political limbo to the annual H-2B visa lottery keeping northern Michigan operators guessing. Food policy expert Maggie Gentile breaks down the rapidly evolving "Make America Healthy Again" movement that's already pushed 80 bills across 30 states targeting food dyes, seed oils, and other ingredients. Is the industry facing a simple food fad or a smoking-level societal sh...

The Content Room takes What's with the Pineapple on the road to the Michigan Food & Hospitality Show floor for a lineup of hospitality heavy-hitters. First up, Julie Pinkston wearing all of the hats joins to discuss her roles as president of the Michigan Association of CVBs, secretary of the Michigan Hospitality Tourism Alliance, and her day job leading Choose Lansing – where they're busy transforming downtown with new venues, hotels with rooftop bars, and earning national recognition as the country's #2 destination for accessible travel. Next, Alicia Rainwater from the Center for Generational Kinetics drops in to drop knowledge on managing fo...

The Content Room returns after their tip credit-induced hiatus with MRLA Chairman Jean Lanfear to discuss her journey from Dairy Queen counter to Buffalo Wild Wings executive. While debating the pronunciation of "caramel" (there is only one correct answer), Justin and Emily serve up surprisingly sweet (and a few sour) stats about the industry five years post-COVID – restaurants now command 53% of America's food dollar despite dining solo becoming the new norm. Starbucks' pivot back to human connection proves we're not ready to permanently replace baristas with apps, and Chairman Lanfear shares why "optimism is a source of power" when le...

Things are getting weird and we aren’t just talking about the three month hiatus of What’s with the Pineapple. Justin and Emily kick things off celebrating National Slap Your Coworker Day (HR would like a word) and their Halloween costumes of choice. The pair dives into McDonald's unexpected political spotlight, Massachusetts giving Michigan a master class in common sense on tip credit, the cage-free egg law scrambling industry preparations for 2025, and Michigan hotels earning their Michelin Keys. Speaking of industry excellence, congratulations are in order for a long list of plaudits covering every corner of the mitten. Brea...

You may be feeling the need for a “sleepcation” at this point in the summer, but you don’t want to sleep on this episode. The MRLA’s Content Room is breaking records with the most in-person contributors as Justin, Emily, Johnny Mac and Producer Joe circle up to deep dive, evaluate, analyze and argue about season three of The Bear while sporting matching BERF t-shirts. Before the arguments start, the group volleys topics back and forth from hotel must-haves, the relevance of the Olympics, Matty Matheson (also known as Fak) coming to Michigan, and some subtle shade (again) towards...

Grace Keros, co-owner of American Coney Island, joins What’s with the Pineapple and not just for a call-in interview. In true Grace-level of dedication she joins Justin and Emily in-person for all of the segments to add an operator perspective and, well, some tell-it-like-it-is truth. The three talk about the prospect of Michigan losing the tip credit – better referred to as careening off a cliff into the abyss – a new app that allows restaurants to sell leftover food instead of throwing it out and the new City of Detroit health inspection color coding ordinance and way more before gettin...

Today’s episode is a true fruit salad of topics as Justin and Emily talk about the upcoming National Restaurant Show, the new season of The Bear, chocolate chip cookie preference, and proposed smoking fee laws. Emily also finally finds her platform to vent about the state of construction in Michigan. (Hint: she’s angry). As the cherry on top, Kat Paye who eats, sleeps, works and lives all things cherries as the Executive Director of the National Cherry Festival, joins the podcast. She shares what to expect in Traverse City next month, how restaurants can incorporate more cherries into...

After a short break, What’s with the Pineapple is back on the saddle. There are a lot of new regulations, or landmines, on the horizon for the hospitality industry and luckily we have Mickey Chichester with Littler, the MRLA Legal Center partner that specializes in labor and employment law. Mickey is here to help listeners navigate the new overtime rule, how to start preparing for the July 1 change, the ban on non-compete agreements, and the new test for independent contractor classifications. Beyond Mickey’s irreplaceable expertise, Justin and Emily are being outshined this week as they welcome a thir...

The world’s first-ever CVB, Visit Detroit, is reporting into the game and joining today’s episode to talk about the NFL Draft coming to town in just a few weeks. As the city prepares for hundreds of thousands of visitors and a tourism-funded boost to Michigan’s economy, Claude and Chris are here for the assist to discuss what operators can expect, how they can best prepare, and how a touchdown success sets the stage for more largescale events to come to town. Did someone say NBA All Star Game? Well, Justin did and he’s laser focused on makin...

There’s a lot to celebrate on this episode: Women’s History Month, Pi(e) Day, National Potato Chip Day, Producer Joe being back for the first time this year… and he’s engaged! Justin and Emily also celebrate International Women’s Day by welcoming Katy McBrady, President of Atwater Brewery, to discuss the second annual limited time launch of Ping Gang IPA which is a woman-powered brew crafted to celebrate the hard-working women in Michigan. The three also talk about how Katy’s career brought her back to Michigan from Southern California, her insight on the next generation of drinkers...

This episode hits different… as Justin and Emily assume the kids of today would say. Brad Keen, Chief Operating Officer of Boyne Resorts, joins the call today to talk about his career climb from line cook internship at Boyne Highlands to his role today overseeing five full-service, four-season resorts. The three reminisce on the pathway to merging lodging into the association and Brad’s leadership in his two orbits through the executive track at the MRLA to serve as Chair in 2013 and 2017. Brad shares his insights on the impacts of Pure Michigan, his approach to retaining a strong workforce and...

We’re back with a vengeance in today’s episode after our brief stint on Zoom. We kick off the show with an overview of the newly-formed Michigan Hospitality & Tourism Alliance assembling 11 of the state’s leading advocates for our industry to share a unified voice. The first all-call: $50 million for Pure Michigan funding. Your hosts also deep dive into the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act (HR 7024) and the state of the industry reports from our national partner associations, the National Restaurant Association and the American Hotel & Lodging Association, outlining themes of growth, competition, shifts in consumer b...

To kick off the new year, Justin is carrying today’s episode just like the Detroit Lions are carrying Michigan (hopefully) to the Big Game as Emily calls in remotely from the ice storm. But nothing – not even awkward streaming lags – will stop them from getting a new episode to listeners! Main topics of discussion include restoring the roar at Ford Field and beyond as the hospitality industry benefits from a successful football season, population growth or lack thereof (again), Burger King franchisees not having it their way and more. The hosts also welcome back Franklin Coley of Align Public...

That’s a wrap on What’s with the Pineapple… well, just for 2023. We could never abandon our listeners. The 2023 Wrapped edition episode is inspired by Spotify even though Justin has cut off his premium subscription and sparked some serious internal debate. Producer Joe is also in the house, er, studio for the first time since Justin and Emily built out their own space in the office and he’s adding his own commentary as the three reflect on the year’s most interesting stories, the biggest headlines, favorites and trends. From saving the tip credit, to Taylor Swift, cocktails...

As the holidays approach, What’s with the Pineapple welcomes Martha Zehnder Kaczynski straight out of a hallmark movie right here in Michigan. Martha, Vice President of Bavarian Inn Lodge, joins Justin and Emily to talk about the history of hospitality in Frankenmuth – a town with 5,000 residents that welcomed more than 3.5 million people last year (that’s more than the Statue of Liberty or Yellowstone National Park). They also delve into Martha’s family legacy in Frankenmuth, what growing up in the industry has instilled in her, their approach to growing their teams, investment in the future of hospitality in Michi...

How do you say hello in Detroit? Easy: “What up doe?” How do you say growing Michigan’s population? Also easy: “What up Doe?” Justin and Emily welcome Michigan’s first-ever Chief Growth Officer, Hilary Doe, to the podcast today to talk about the Growing Together Council, how to increase Michigan’s population and how Pure Michigan and the hospitality industry overall fits into that discussion. The hosts don’t skimp on the tough questions either: is it Michigander or Michiganian? We need answers! It’s not all growing together on this episode though as a healthy debate breaks out about Celsius...

This is your public notice disclaimer that the What’s with the Pineapple Podcast will now be charging a service fee to list to our episodes. Well, not really. But if you are an operator who has implemented or is considering implementing a service fee or surcharge, you do not want to skip over this episode. Helen “Lizzie” Mills, a partner at Fahey, Schultz, Burzych, Rhodes PLC, joins the podcast to break down the basics, deeper details and do’s and don’t of implementing these fees. And in the name of being completely on brand for the podcast, breaking n...

Let’s start with a warning: this episode was recorded last week when the Detroit Lions were still undefeated. Beyond the loudness of the roar, Justin and Emily aren’t just loyal to their NFL team, they also discuss loyalty programs changing across the restaurant sector along with their favorites to use and rack up points. Looking at you, Dominos. The duo also walk listeners through the details of upcoming excise tax bills that have the potential to impact hotels in many major cities before welcoming Mike Whatley, Vice President of State Affairs & Grassroots Advocacy at the National Restaurant Asso...

Justin and Emily spend a lot of time in the kitchen in today's episode…the one on the pickleball court, that is! They welcome guest George Aquino to talk about his journey in the industry from busser to Vice President and Managing Director of AHC Hospitality and Co-Founder of 20 x 44 Sports, a pickleball hospitality company focused on promoting the sport through camps, tournaments and travel. Spoiler alert: the long-time pickleball debate is settled and someone (Justin) accepts final defeat. Beyond the court, George also shares stories from his time as a food critic and travel writer, his time in th...

Listeners don’t have to keep their fingers crossed that this will be an interesting episode – it already is as Justin and Emily welcome David Kwiatkowski of Detroit Optimist Society. As a long time listener of the podcast, David joins to talk about his experience over the last nearly 15 years of operating in the hospitality industry after transition from trading equity options in Chicago to opening Detroit’s first craft cocktail bar, tremendous expansion within the city and his new venture into Northern Michigan. Time Will Tell if you like the name. All of the usual segments are full of upd...

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...

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...

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 includ...

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...

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:

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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. Johnny Mac stays with us for the entirety of the episode as we work through the typical segments to discuss how far is too far with tipping, holiday traditio...

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 podcast’s producer, Joe, weighs in with his opinion on some of these topics. Disclaimer: this episode was recorded on Election Day and Justin and Emily are not psyc...

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 podcast’s producer, Joe, weighs in with his opinion on some of these topics. Disclaimer: this episode was recorded on Election Day and Justin and Emily are not psyc...

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 response to the expanding use of service charges in the hospitality industry. The two try out a new segment to highlight Michigan-specific hospitality news and recap what is in store when (if?) the...