Pineapple Kitchen expands murder mystery dinner shows in Bradenton and Sarasota areas

Pineapple Kitchen, a culinary education, gourmet product and hospitality company founded by the husband-and-wife team of Mike and Jenny Schenk, is expanding its adult interactive murder mystery dinner program.

Beginning in November, their mystery dinner shows will be hosted by the EVEN Hotel, 6231 Lake Osprey Drive, Lakewood Ranch, and Hotel Indigo, 1223 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota.

Their dinner shows have been selling out two to three months in advance and have murder mystery fans wanting more, the couple said in a press release. The new locations will accommodate more guests.

“We are thrilled to have our shows performed at these new locations. It will allow us to offer our unique dining experience to more guests, while keeping the same level of interactive entertainment and intimate feel that our mystery fans have come to appreciate,” Jenny Schenk said.

“Our mystery theme for the hotels is ‘Pineapple’s Speakeasy’ where guests will come dressed as gangsters and flappers,” she said.

During the three-hour dinner shows, guests are immersed in the mystery and become a character and a suspect in the show.

Guests are encouraged to dress in costume based on the theme of the show. Awards are given for best costume, best sleuth and best character.

The Schenks launched Pineapple Kitchen in March 2020 at 4914 Lena Road, Unit 104, as the COVID-19 pandemic descended on the United States.

Originally, the company was set up as a wholesale operation for their Pineapple Kitchen Soft Bavarian Pretzel Bite kits.

But early on the couple showed an ability to quickly adapt to changing conditions.

By November 2020, they had opened their tasting room at Pineapple Kitchen, offering grab-and-go breakfast eats, including sandwiches and pastries.

Also offered were coffees, lattes, cold brews, coffee smoothies and hot chocolate.

Subsequently, they launched their mystery dinner productions. In 2022, Pineapple Kitchen received the Manatee Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award.

“We just kept pivoting,” Jenny Schenk said at the Chamber awards dinner of the evolution of the company.

Mike and Jenny Schenk write and produce all the mystery dinner shows.

For seat reservations to a Pineapple Kitchen interactive mystery show, visit the Pineapple Kitchen Mysteries website at www.pineapplekitchenmysteries.com.