Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 10, 2025
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Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association Announces Partnership with Hospitality Training & Engagement Platform Shifty
LANSING, MI — The Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association (MRLA) is excited to announce a new endorsed partnership with Shifty, a cutting-edge training, engagement and operations platform designed to help hospitality businesses streamline onboarding, improve staff retention and deliver consistent guest experiences.
Through this exclusive partnership, MRLA members gain special access and pricing to Shifty’s innovative tools, which centralize training materials, standard operating procedures and communications in one easy-to-use platform. This collaboration aligns with MRLA’s commitment to provide members with proven solutions that address some of the industry’s most pressing challenges.
“One of the biggest challenges facing our industry right now is retaining talent while maintaining consistent quality as teams change and businesses grow,” said Justin Winslow, President & CEO of the MRLA. “Shifty offers a modern and practical solution to help our members train faster and protect the integrity of their brand. We encourage every member to explore this tool and see the impact it can have on their operation.”
One MRLA member already seeing results with Shifty is Pita Way, a fast casual Mediterranean brand with 44 locations and growing. Facing rapid expansion, Pita Way needed a way to maintain brand standards, reduce turnover and make training more efficient.
“High turnover was leading to constant retraining and inconsistent execution,” said Cindy, Director of Training at Pita Way. “We can’t have 50 to 60 restaurants and everybody’s doing tomatoes a different way. We need Shifty because it’s the source of truth that allows us to deliver consistent experiences and products to our guests.”
With Shifty, Pita Way has been able to onboard staff more quickly, improve operational consistency across locations, and focus more on delivering exceptional guest experiences rather than retraining.
Shifty was launched in 2020 by Beth Hussey during COVID-19 to streamline the restaurant operations process, applying her knowledge as owner of seafood restaurant.
Hazel’s which is in Birmingham, Mich. and her 35+ years of restauranteur experience and background of training thousands of employees.
“I developed Shifty to translate the unique, human-centered training system I’d honed as a restauranteur since the early ’90s into technology,” explains Beth Hussey, Founder of Shifty. “Most restaurants rely on inconsistent shadow training and paper checklists. I wanted to build a platform that digitizes that core method, making it repeatable, measurable and engaging for both trainers and staff.”
With customizable options and content personalized to individual business needs, Shifty has served a variety of Michigan restaurants ranging from fast casual to fine dining. MRLA members can learn more about exclusive Shifty benefits at mrla.org/exclusive-member-savings and explore Shifty’s solutions at shiftyinc.com.
Book a demo today!
Through this exclusive partnership, MRLA members gain special access and pricing to Shifty’s innovative tools, which centralize training materials, standard operating procedures and communications in one easy-to-use platform. This collaboration aligns with MRLA’s commitment to provide members with proven solutions that address some of the industry’s most pressing challenges.
“One of the biggest challenges facing our industry right now is retaining talent while maintaining consistent quality as teams change and businesses grow,” said Justin Winslow, President & CEO of the MRLA. “Shifty offers a modern and practical solution to help our members train faster and protect the integrity of their brand. We encourage every member to explore this tool and see the impact it can have on their operation.”
One MRLA member already seeing results with Shifty is Pita Way, a fast casual Mediterranean brand with 44 locations and growing. Facing rapid expansion, Pita Way needed a way to maintain brand standards, reduce turnover and make training more efficient.
“High turnover was leading to constant retraining and inconsistent execution,” said Cindy, Director of Training at Pita Way. “We can’t have 50 to 60 restaurants and everybody’s doing tomatoes a different way. We need Shifty because it’s the source of truth that allows us to deliver consistent experiences and products to our guests.”
With Shifty, Pita Way has been able to onboard staff more quickly, improve operational consistency across locations, and focus more on delivering exceptional guest experiences rather than retraining.
Shifty was launched in 2020 by Beth Hussey during COVID-19 to streamline the restaurant operations process, applying her knowledge as owner of seafood restaurant.
Hazel’s which is in Birmingham, Mich. and her 35+ years of restauranteur experience and background of training thousands of employees.
“I developed Shifty to translate the unique, human-centered training system I’d honed as a restauranteur since the early ’90s into technology,” explains Beth Hussey, Founder of Shifty. “Most restaurants rely on inconsistent shadow training and paper checklists. I wanted to build a platform that digitizes that core method, making it repeatable, measurable and engaging for both trainers and staff.”
With customizable options and content personalized to individual business needs, Shifty has served a variety of Michigan restaurants ranging from fast casual to fine dining. MRLA members can learn more about exclusive Shifty benefits at mrla.org/exclusive-member-savings and explore Shifty’s solutions at shiftyinc.com.
Book a demo today!
About the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association
Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association (MRLA) is the recognized leader of Michigan's hospitality industry, providing essential services to the foodservice and lodging community. Founded in 1921 as the Michigan Restaurant Association and now known as the MRLA, the Association represents over 5,500 Michigan foodservice and lodging establishments. The industry plays an integral role in Michigan's economy, employing more than 450,000 people and creating nearly $44.6 billion in annual sales. For more information, visit www.mrla.org and www.detroitrla.org.
About Shifty
Shifty is an innovative training, engagement and operations platform built specifically for the restaurant and hospitality industry. Founded by hospitality veteran Beth Hussey, Shifty digitizes and streamlines standard operating procedures, training content, and team communications into one easy-to-use system. By providing a single source of truth for every task, process, and standard, Shifty helps operators onboard faster, reduce turnover, maintain brand consistency, and deliver exceptional guest experiences at scale. Learn more at www.shiftyinc.com.
Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association (MRLA) is the recognized leader of Michigan's hospitality industry, providing essential services to the foodservice and lodging community. Founded in 1921 as the Michigan Restaurant Association and now known as the MRLA, the Association represents over 5,500 Michigan foodservice and lodging establishments. The industry plays an integral role in Michigan's economy, employing more than 450,000 people and creating nearly $44.6 billion in annual sales. For more information, visit www.mrla.org and www.detroitrla.org.
About Shifty
Shifty is an innovative training, engagement and operations platform built specifically for the restaurant and hospitality industry. Founded by hospitality veteran Beth Hussey, Shifty digitizes and streamlines standard operating procedures, training content, and team communications into one easy-to-use system. By providing a single source of truth for every task, process, and standard, Shifty helps operators onboard faster, reduce turnover, maintain brand consistency, and deliver exceptional guest experiences at scale. Learn more at www.shiftyinc.com.
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