Chair of the Board: Welcome to a New Year!
Dear Members,
I hope you are having a nice start to this new year and new decade. I must admit that as I begin my tenure as chair of the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association (MRLA), my thoughts are a bit reflective about my time on the board and about my life as a Michigan-based restaurateur.
The corner bar that my parents opened in the 1970s served as the backdrop for my childhood and many life lessons. It’s where I watched my mom and dad dedicate themselves to their business, staff, and their community. It’s where I learned what an important role restaurants play in people’s lives. I am so proud to be a second-generation restaurant owner and operator.
It’s also where I learned to understand the grind and challenges we all face just trying to maintain day-to-day operations, and where I’ve seen pressures and regulations from Lansing impact my small family business. This is where the MRLA tries to serve our members. We advocate and educate our legislators about our industry, as well as help identify solutions for challenges such as workforce development, educational training, and cost savings through our endorsed partners.
In the 7 years I have served on the MRLA board, we have successfully defeated two ballot proposals designed to eliminate the tip credit and upend our industry. We have seen growth in our ProStart program, collaborated with other stakeholders to make changes to laws discouraging out-of-state interests from initiating ballot initiatives, and we have expanded the scope of our Association to serve Michigan’s important lodging industry. I am very grateful for the dedicated leadership of our past chairmen, board members, and, especially Justin Winslow and the MRLA staff. Their vision, leadership, and ability to get things done have served our Association extremely well.
This year brings many opportunities. We continue expanding our reach into lodging and work to address issues such as short-term rentals. We will host the first-ever regional Great Lakes Hospitality Conference & Expo. And we will work diligently to protect Michigan’s restaurants and lodging businesses from any overreaching government mandates.
Serving as the chair of the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association is a tremendous honor. The MRLA is recognized as one of the most influential Associations in this state, and I look forward to working with our team to ensure this continues.
Here’s to a successful 2020!
Cheers,
Andrew French
I hope you are having a nice start to this new year and new decade. I must admit that as I begin my tenure as chair of the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association (MRLA), my thoughts are a bit reflective about my time on the board and about my life as a Michigan-based restaurateur.
The corner bar that my parents opened in the 1970s served as the backdrop for my childhood and many life lessons. It’s where I watched my mom and dad dedicate themselves to their business, staff, and their community. It’s where I learned what an important role restaurants play in people’s lives. I am so proud to be a second-generation restaurant owner and operator.
It’s also where I learned to understand the grind and challenges we all face just trying to maintain day-to-day operations, and where I’ve seen pressures and regulations from Lansing impact my small family business. This is where the MRLA tries to serve our members. We advocate and educate our legislators about our industry, as well as help identify solutions for challenges such as workforce development, educational training, and cost savings through our endorsed partners.
In the 7 years I have served on the MRLA board, we have successfully defeated two ballot proposals designed to eliminate the tip credit and upend our industry. We have seen growth in our ProStart program, collaborated with other stakeholders to make changes to laws discouraging out-of-state interests from initiating ballot initiatives, and we have expanded the scope of our Association to serve Michigan’s important lodging industry. I am very grateful for the dedicated leadership of our past chairmen, board members, and, especially Justin Winslow and the MRLA staff. Their vision, leadership, and ability to get things done have served our Association extremely well.
This year brings many opportunities. We continue expanding our reach into lodging and work to address issues such as short-term rentals. We will host the first-ever regional Great Lakes Hospitality Conference & Expo. And we will work diligently to protect Michigan’s restaurants and lodging businesses from any overreaching government mandates.
Serving as the chair of the Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association is a tremendous honor. The MRLA is recognized as one of the most influential Associations in this state, and I look forward to working with our team to ensure this continues.
Here’s to a successful 2020!
Cheers,
Andrew French
