Over the past few years, our focus has been to help improve healthcare food service operations.
Through our own experience and time spent with other people in the industry, we identified one area of improvement that didn’t seem to have a clear and consistent solution. Food service training. Too often, food service directors are either spread too thin, overwhelmed or just in need of new ideas. Bringing in a consultant or even a full-time chef does not always fit the culture, the budget, or they are just too difficult to find. And the current online training available to healthcare operators seems to focus more on clinical or general training, leaving nothing specific to foodservice.
Why the Pineapple Academy was Founded
Founder Story
In 2018 Greg Gorgone called Tucker Graves and said, “It was time we came up with our own training solution.” One that could provide healthcare food service operators a tool to help support their current efforts more efficiently, as well as bring them new ideas from operators all over the country just like them. And that’s how this idea of the Pineapple Academy came to life.

We both strongly believe that changing a culture starts in the kitchen and that it’s not just the food, but the service and the way we treat others as well. We also believe that the first step to changing the underlying behavior behind a culture comes through the sharing of knowledge. So that’s the basic foundation of our Academy, shared knowledge about food and service, delivered in the most engaging way possible.
Our Vision
We have set a goal of impacting 20,000 lives through our online food service training in 2020. This is a big goal, but we believe so strongly in this idea that culture change starts in the kitchen, that we feel others will join our mission and 20,000 will quickly become 200,000.
Join our mission of changing a culture in the kitchen.
Our mission of building a culinary culture begins in healthcare food service operations. Next, we plan to expand our offering and provide education for all employees within the healthcare workforce and their families. And it won’t stop there. Our vision of food and service education extends beyond the walls of hospitals and senior living, into doctor’s offices, schools, corporations and eventually into our very own homes. There is truly no limit when it comes to educating a society about the food we eat and how we treat others. That’s why we are sharing our story with you today. We want you to join us in our mission of changing a culture in the kitchen.
We believe our culture is in desperate need of a change, and we hope you feel the same. So, we challenge you – healthcare operators, food service directors, consultants, vendors, and anyone else passionate about changing a culture – to take the first step and learn more about the Pineapple Academy by contacting us today. And with your help, we’ll start changing this world we live in by building a Culinary Culture!
Welcome to the Pineapple Academy
#GOPINEAPPLE
~ Tucker & Greg