Quick Bites
Ghost Kitchens in Hotels
As occupancy rates in hotels have fallen throughout the year in response to the spread of COVID-19, hotels have discovered new ways to utilize their space and draw in revenue by renting out their empty kitchen or banquet spaces to restaurateurs hunting for cut-rate space, commonly referred to as ghost kitchens. Ghost kitchens are cooking facilities that produce food only for delivery or takeout. Think of it as a food truck inside of an already established business. These restaurants have grown increasingly popular and are now popping up all over the country. They are entirely independent and produce their own menu items all within the location of the hotel.
As occupancy rates in hotels have fallen throughout the year in response to the spread of COVID-19, hotels have discovered new ways to utilize their space and draw in revenue by renting out their empty kitchen or banquet spaces to restaurateurs hunting for cut-rate space, commonly referred to as ghost kitchens. Ghost kitchens are cooking facilities that produce food only for delivery or takeout. Think of it as a food truck inside of an already established business. These restaurants have grown increasingly popular and are now popping up all over the country. They are entirely independent and produce their own menu items all within the location of the hotel.
Powered by BYOD
The Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association (MRLA) has partnered with Michigan-based BYOD™ to provide employee health screening and contact tracing software through TEMP PROTECT™ and GUEST PROTECT™, offering value and resources to Michigan’s hospitality industry. |
GUEST PROTECT™ uses any smartphone with a camera to scan a QR code that is unique to the participating operator. The guest enters their name, phone number and email which then submits the encrypted data to a secure Amazon Web Services Cloud storage environment for retrieval if required by the health department. The process takes less than 20 seconds and can be completed by the guest or the operator.
TEMP PROTECT™ is a mobile application that health screens staff via a five-question survey and generates a QR code for location scanning. The staff member’s responses are then encrypted and stored in a secure cloud environment and accessible only to the administrator of the account. Importantly, this process provides a one-day work permit and staff must re-certify daily through the app.
MRLA and BYOD™ are currently onboarding MRLA Members to both platforms at no cost and non-members for $25 per month, per location.
For more information, visit MRLA.org/byod
TEMP PROTECT™ is a mobile application that health screens staff via a five-question survey and generates a QR code for location scanning. The staff member’s responses are then encrypted and stored in a secure cloud environment and accessible only to the administrator of the account. Importantly, this process provides a one-day work permit and staff must re-certify daily through the app.
MRLA and BYOD™ are currently onboarding MRLA Members to both platforms at no cost and non-members for $25 per month, per location.
For more information, visit MRLA.org/byod
Welcome New MRLA Board Members
The Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association has announced its newest board members!
The Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association has announced its newest board members!
John Andrews | TEAM Schostak, Livonia
John Andrews joined TEAM Schostak Family Restaurants in 2012 and has over 35 years of experience in the casual dining segment. John has a strong track record in driving revenue, optimizing profits and cultivating a culture of respect, pride and values. John progressed from the field to Vice President over his distinguished career where he was a two‐time Carlson Leadership nominee and two‐time Director of Operations of the Year winner. |
Josh Beckett | Anna’s House
Josh Becket, owner and CEO of Anna’s House Restaurants, has over 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry. In 2003, he purchased the first Anna’s House restaurant located in NE Grand Rapids. Today, there are eight Anna’s House restaurant locations with two more planned to open in 2021. Anna’s House success is built on a passion to serve the best breakfast and lunch in a warm and friendly atmosphere. |
Doug Dean | Grand Hotel
Doug Dean joined Grand Hotel in 2019 as Davidson Hotels and Resorts assumed management of the iconic property following its sale. Previously, Doug had served as area general manager for Davidson in Chicago. Dean joined the Davidson organization as the general manager of the Hyatt Centric Chicago Magnificent Mile in 2012, when he led the 419-room property through an ownership transition and total property renovation. Prior to his role with Davidson, he worked with Marriott International for more than 20 years. |
Sava Farah | SavCo Hospitality
Sava Farah is the founder and CEO of SavCo Hospitality, an Ann Arbor based hospitality group specializing in experiential restaurants grounded in hospitality. Sava comes from humble beginnings, working her way up from a bus girl to a restaurant group CEO with no formal training or investors. Her group currently operates Sava’s, Aventura and The Dixboro Project. Sava’s, an Ann Arbor institution since 2007, grew from a humble 23 seat diner to a bustling 300 seat restaurant. |
Steve Neely | Sysco Michigan
Stephen M. Neely has over 30 years of Executive and Financial Management experience. He currently serves as Region President for Sysco Michigan, a subsidiary of Fortune 100 Sysco Corporation based in Houston. Prior to his move to Michigan, he served as President of Sysco Indianapolis, LLC for 10 years. Prior to his move to Indiana he served as Executive Vice President of Sysco Louisville after relocating from Denver where he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for that organization. Steve also spent time in financial roles with Sysco Virginia and Sysco Detroit. |
Shawn Saputo | McDonald’s
Shawn Saputo is the President of SM Saputo LLC dba McDonald’s. Shawn, a ten-year Veteran of the Michigan Army National Guard, has worked for McDonald’s since 2010. He started his career as a crew member for a family-owned McDonald’s restaurant in 2010 in Royal Oak and worked his way through the ranks, holding every position from crew member to area supervisor and now Owner/Operator. Shawn purchased his first two restaurants in 2018 in downtown Saginaw and has since purchased two more locations, one in Okemos and one in East Lansing. |
Doug Small | Experience Grand Rapids
Doug Small is President & Chief Executive Officer for Experience Grand Rapids, the Convention & Visitor’s Bureau. Experience Grand Rapids provides destination marketing, management and visitor services for the Greater Grand Rapids region. Doug has acquired 38 years of experience in the hospitality, tourism and destination marketing industries, with emphasis on marketing and management. Doug was inducted into the Michigan Society of Association Executives Hall of Fame in 2015 and named one of West Michigan’s 200 Most Powerful Business Leaders in 2019 and 2020. |
Liz Ware | Mission Point Resort
Liz serves as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for her family’s resort on Mackinac Island, Mission Point. Her Pure Michigan story stems from the Chicago Yacht Club’s Race to Mackinac. After spending several years volunteering with the regatta, she planted roots on the island with the renovation of Silver Birches and solidified them when her parents purchased the resort. Liz’s passion and love of Michigan, Mackinac Island and hospitality is palpable. Over the past six years, the Ware family has renovated and cultivated Mission Point winning numerous national and regional awards. |
Celebrating 100 Years of the MRLA!
The Michigan Restaurant Association was originally founded in 1921 to serve, enhance and nurture the growth and development of Michigan's foodservice industry. Since then, the association have grown tremendously and now, in 2021, is celebrating 100 years of existence as an association. In 2018, the MRA expanded its reach to become the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association and to advance the entire hospitality industry. The MRLA is the recognized leader of Michigan's hospitality industry, providing essential services to its members through value, vision and voice. We thank you for trusting us to work for you over the last 100 years and look forward to celebrating with you throughout the year! |