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.