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The Pineapple PerspectiveAuthor: Troy Hooper
What would you say if we told you that every business is in the hospitality business? Join Troy Hooper, CEO of Hot Palette America, as he explores what hospitality means in every business with industry leaders. Troy and his guests will tackle how they came to deploy hospitality in their businesses, how it impacts their results, and how they came to understand, adopt, and deploy this mindset and framework. Leveraging Troy's experience, insight, and straight talk - listeners will walk away with a plan of action that's right for them. If you feel you have deployed a unique hospitality tactic to your business, reach out to be a guest. For more information on Troy Hooper and Pepper Lunch, visit: https://www.krpusa.com/ and https://www.pepperlunchrestaurants.com/ Language: en Genres: Arts, Business, Careers, Food Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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080: Hospitality That's Felt: Carin Stutz on Culture, Leadership and Retention in Restaurant Operations
Episode 80
Thursday, 22 January, 2026
In this episode of The Pineapple Perspective, host Troy Hooper sits down with Carin Stutz, a longtime restaurant executive whose leadership spans quick service, casual dining, fast casual, and global operations. Stutz defines hospitality as genuine connection, something felt immediately through first impressions, authentic greetings, and the way guests are welcomed and thanked. From her current vantage point in board work, consulting, and leadership development, she emphasizes a renewed focus on culture, leadership training, and restoring pride in restaurant careers. Stutz also reflects on what she would do differently, particularly holding marketing more accountable to traffic and same-store sales outcomes—and encourages operators to broaden their business fluency, including cash flow and balance sheet fundamentals. Hooper connects these ideas to modern operating realities like third-party delivery and rising guest expectations, sharing how Pepper Lunch redesigned front-of-house staffing to increase hospitality while adopting technology through kiosks and a dedicated "hospitality host" role. The conversation closes with optimism about emerging leaders, a shifting dynamic that elevates franchisee partnership, and Stutz's work with Gleam Network to mentor, develop, and promote career pathways for restaurant professionals. Topics Discussed in the Episode Defining hospitality through genuine connection and first impressions Leadership training, retention challenges, and culture in restaurant teams High tech and high touch service strategies in fast casual and QSR Franchisee–franchisor dynamics and the role of franchisees in brand growth Financial literacy for operators, cash flow thinking, and lessons from industry bankruptcies Connect with Carin Stutz: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carin-stutz-832b766/ This show is sponsored by Pepper Lunch. Find a location near you! Production and Administration work completed by Smart Podcast Solutions and Elevate Virtual Business Solutions.
