It’s a match made in ballpark beer festival heaven

It’s a match made in ballpark beer festival heaven. Think Field of Dreams only better because this venue features creative craft beers, live music and delicious eats at one of the finest minor league baseball stadiums in the land–beautiful Dow Diamond.

If you build a cool and fun-filled event, people will come, and The Toasted Pineapple Snack Shack, a unique Grand Rapids-based soft pretzel truck, is doing a home-run trot of sorts as it looks forward to making its way to Midland as a new food vendor at the 3rd annual Great Lakes Beer Festival on Saturday, August 17.

The Snack Shack’s Original Loaded is a gourmet soft pretzel delight if there ever was one. It is topped with cheese sauce, shredded cheddar, crumbled maple bacon, a drizzle of sour cream and a sprinkle of chives.

“This year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever,” says Ed Fritz, festival director. “We’re excited to welcome The Toasted Pineapple Snack Shack to our new Food Truck lineup on the concourse.”

“We’re looking forward to Midland because we firmly believe soft pretzels and cheese sauces pair perfectly with a beer fest,” says Jess Gasiorek, owner of The Toasted Pineapple Snack Shack which specializes in gourmet dips, loaded soft pretzels and stuffed soft pretzels.

This Toasted Pecan & Pineapple Chicken Salad Stuffed Soft Pretzel is one of The Toasted Pineapple Snack Shack’s most popular offerings. Led by entrepreneur Jessica Gasiorek, the soft pretzel food truck will be one of the vendors at the 3rd annual Great Lakes Beer Festival on Saturday, August 17.

All of their sauces and dips are made in small batches and mixed by hand, resulting in a food truck whose creations put your appetite into overdrive.

“We love coming up with new ones,” Gasiorek says. “One of our most popular items is the Toasted Pecan & Pineapple Chicken Salad Stuffed Soft Pretzel.”

Their Snack Shack Cheese Sauce and Original Loaded, topped with cheese sauce, shredded cheddar, crumbled maple bacon, a drizzle of sour cream and a sprinkle of chives, are also top sellers.

This is The Toasted Pineapple Snack Shack’s first season in West Michigan after relocating there from its previous home in Southern Indiana.  So far, so good on setting up shop in the Grand Rapids area.

“We find ourselves doing fun events like the Great Lakes Beer Festival, and vending in amazing places like inside stadiums, wineries, breweries and campgrounds,” says Gasiorek. “While I wear the majority of hats to bring this dream to life, I have some truly great friends that have been here since the beginning (2022) and a supportive husband to make it happen.”

The Toasted Pineapple Snack Shack specializes in gourmet dips, loaded soft pretzels and stuffed soft pretzels. This Pepperoni & Mozzarella-stuffed offering is one of the many unique menu items of the West Michigan-based food truck.

It’s been quite a journey for Gasiorek. After graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in International Relations, she spent a couple of years working as a yacht stewardess on the East Coast and in the Caribbean–where she encountered a lot of pineapples and drew inspiration for what would become her food truck’s name.

“Decor, jewelry, artwork, etc.,“ she explained. “Legend has it that ship captains in the 1700s would spear a pineapple on their front gate to let friends know they’d safely returned home from voyage and were ready to entertain friends with good food and good stories.”

Pineapples, continued Gasiorek, became symbolic of warm welcomes, celebration & hospitality (think Great Lakes Beer Festival!).

“From this vibe our motto was born: a simple twist to your favorite snacks inspired by our favorite people and places,” she noted.

After her yachting days, the entrepreneuring Gasiorek was hired as an executive assistant for a man who owned multiple Jimmy John franchises.

“I learned a lot about franchising from my experience there, both the do’s and don’t I like to say, and began franchising for myself, opening my first Jet’s Pizza at age 29.”

She still has Jet’s Pizza locations, but was left wanting more.

“It doesn’t scratch my creative itch,” she says. “I had been so fortunate to work closely with talented chefs abroad and being a self-proclaimed foodie, I wanted a little something for myself. My ideas, my flavors, my recipes, all compiled from my inspirations and influences. Thus, The Toasted Pineapple Snack Shack was born.”

The Great Lakes Beer Festival takes place from 2-7 p.m. As Fritz likes to say: “There are a lot of beer festivals in the state, but there’s only one Great Lakes Beer Festival. It’s an opportunity to sample the best of what Michigan’s craft breweries have to offer. And with more than 70 of our finest breweries expected to be on hand, there will be something for everyone to enjoy.”