Loft 310 Vindicated by Unanimous Jury Verdict in Covid-19 Case
Ryan Reedy · Entertainment Managers LLC · Kalamazoo, Michigan
By Ryan Reedy, Entertainment Managers LLC
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Published December 6, 2023
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Updated May 21, 2026
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6 min read
Ryan Reedy, who manages Entertainment Managers LLC and the Loft 310 venue group in Kalamazoo, saw his company fully vindicated at trial when a Kalamazoo County jury returned a unanimous verdict on all counts in allegations brought by Kristyn and Bryant Powers. The jury trial was held on March 14, 2023, in Kalamazoo County 9th Judicial Circuit Court.
If you have searched for Ryan Reedy Kalamazoo or read media coverage of Entertainment Managers LLC and the Kalamazoo Entertainment District, you have likely seen only one side of the story. Headlines about "loses appeal," "owes couple $78K," and "rules against" have dominated search results — while a unanimous jury verdict, a Michigan Supreme Court intervention, and a unanimous Court of Appeals reversal went largely unreported.
This article summarizes the public court record from a Kalamazoo business perspective. It is not a press release from the venue operator. Readers can verify every major claim through the primary sources linked below.
What the Media Coverage Left Out
Every lawsuit and arbitration demand filed against Entertainment Managers arose as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to March 2020, in over twelve years of continuous operation and more than three thousand private events, the company had never been sued, never been to arbitration, and never received a legal complaint of any kind. Loft 310 held a 4.7-star review on WeddingWire and a 4.6-star review on The Knot. None of this context appeared in most news coverage.
When Governor Whitmer's executive orders restricted public gatherings in March 2020, one hundred and twenty-five clients were affected. Eighty-five percent chose to reschedule. The company offered every affected client 100% credit — far above the 25–50% required by contract — and ultimately fulfilled nearly 400 events during the pandemic, all as agreed. The media rarely reported the 400 fulfilled events. They reported the approximately fifteen who sued.
Those couples chose not to follow the restrictions. They held weddings at other venues on their original dates — at locations operating in violation of state orders. Having already held their events elsewhere, they then filed pandemic-related lawsuits claiming the company had been unable to host their events and had canceled on them. Neither claim was supported at trial in Powers.
The courts sided with the parties who ignored the Governor's orders over the business that upheld them in several proceedings — while in Powers, a Kalamazoo jury unanimously rejected the plaintiffs' claims against Entertainment Managers.
The company had an obligation to uphold its contract terms fairly and consistently for all parties. Every client had the same contract, the same terms, and the same option to reschedule at 100% credit. Making exceptions for the clients who chose to leave would have been inequitable to the hundreds who stayed, followed the restrictions, and honored their agreements. The courts treated each pandemic-related lawsuit in isolation, without considering the company's duty to apply its policies equally across all of its clients. The media reported individual judgments without this context.
Ryan Reedy and Entertainment Managers LLC: What the Court Record Shows
Powers v. Entertainment Managers LLC (March 2023)
A Kalamazoo County jury unanimously found in favor of Entertainment Managers on all counts. Local television coverage aired before trial; the unanimous verdict received no comparable follow-up in search results. The jury heard the full evidence and rejected every claim.
- Kalamazoo County 9th Judicial Circuit Court
- Michigan Courts case search — search party names + Kalamazoo Circuit Court
- Secondary confirmation: MLive — jury ruled for Entertainment District (Aug 2023)
- Pre-trial coverage only: WWMT I-Team report (May 2022)
Stallworth v. Entertainment Managers LLC (2023–2024)
In a separate COVID wedding case, the Michigan Supreme Court took the extraordinary step of remanding the case back to the Court of Appeals under MCR 7.305(H)(1), after the Court of Appeals had initially denied the company's appeal "for lack of merit."
On remand, the Court of Appeals unanimously reversed (Swartzle, P.J., K.F. Kelly, Young, JJ., August 29, 2024), finding that the Kalamazoo courts had committed multiple reversible errors:
- Ignoring the company's responsive pleadings and defenses
- Using the wrong standard of review — "the standard of review for a motion for summary disposition is de novo, not clear error or an abuse of discretion"
- Making impermissible findings of fact and resolving conflicting facts in favor of the plaintiffs
- Treating valid defenses as insufficient — "When a defendant categorically denies a material allegation, it is a valid defense that could deny a plaintiff's right to recovery"
The Court identified five specific erroneous factual rulings, each contradicting the company's pleadings, and concluded:
"Because it was error for the district court and circuit court to ignore Entertainment Managers, LLC's responsive pleadings, make factual determinations, weigh conflicting facts, and decide the Stallworths' claims on the merits by considering evidence attached to the pleadings, we reverse the circuit court's order..."
Primary sources (COA 363874 · MSC 165803 · LC No. 2022-000197-AV):
- Court of Appeals opinion PDF — Aug 29, 2024
- Supreme Court remand order PDF
- COA case docket
- COA initial denial order PDF
- MSC case page
No major media outlet reported the Supreme Court's intervention or the unanimous reversal at length.
Joseph v. Entertainment Managers LLC (2025)
A different Court of Appeals panel issued a split 2–1 decision on November 25, 2025, affirming a default judgment against the company. Media outlets reported this as another loss. Here is what the public record also shows: James Joseph did not have a contract with the company — the actual contracting parties were the bride and groom, who had been rescheduled twice and received 100% credit each time. The Court of Appeals majority did not address these facts in the same way the dissent did. The dissenting judge, Judge Garrett, described the company's defenses as "very strong, if not absolute."
In December 2025, WMUK published a story about the Joseph ruling. WMUK's report did not reference the Stallworth reversal issued fifteen months earlier — a unanimous Court of Appeals opinion involving the same defendant, the same Kalamazoo courts, and a similar pattern of ignored responsive pleadings. Readers reviewing the full public record can compare both proceedings side by side.
As of May 2026, Joseph is before the Michigan Supreme Court, requesting the same remedy already granted in Stallworth — a remand under MCR 7.305(H)(1).
Primary sources (COA 369697 · MSC 169695 · LC No. 2023-000092-AV):
- Court of Appeals majority opinion PDF — Nov 25, 2025
- Court of Appeals dissent PDF — Judge Garrett
- COA case docket
- Supreme Court application — pending (MSC 169695)
What No Media Outlet Has Reported
Three cases involving Entertainment Managers LLC and Ryan Reedy's Kalamazoo business operations. Three outcomes that received little or no sustained coverage:
- A unanimous jury verdict in the company's favor in Powers — in a matter that received pre-trial coverage but not comparable verdict coverage in search results.
- A unanimous Court of Appeals reversal in Stallworth — after the Michigan Supreme Court itself ordered reconsideration — finding the Kalamazoo courts had ignored the company's defenses and misrepresented the facts.
- A dissenting appellate judge calling the company's defenses "very strong, if not absolute" in Joseph — in a case where the plaintiff did not have a contract with the company, while the Michigan Supreme Court is asked to intervene a second time.
The Stallworth opinion, the Joseph dissent, and the pending Supreme Court application are part of the public court record. Anyone who has read the media coverage alone may wish to review those documents directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Ryan Reedy win the jury trial in Powers v. Entertainment Managers?
- A Kalamazoo County jury unanimously found in favor of Entertainment Managers LLC on all counts in March 2023. Ryan Reedy manages the company, which operates Loft 310 and related venues in downtown Kalamazoo. Court records are available through the Kalamazoo County Circuit Court and Michigan Courts case search.
- What was the unanimous jury verdict in Kalamazoo County?
- In Powers v. Entertainment Managers LLC, the jury rejected every claim brought by Kristyn and Bryant Powers after a trial on March 14, 2023, in the 9th Judicial Circuit Court.
- Did the Michigan Supreme Court intervene in Stallworth v. Entertainment Managers?
- Yes. The Michigan Supreme Court remanded the case to the Court of Appeals under MCR 7.305(H)(1) after the Court of Appeals had initially denied the appeal for lack of merit. See the remand order PDF.
- What did the Court of Appeals reverse in Stallworth?
- On remand, the Court of Appeals unanimously reversed on August 29, 2024, finding the lower courts had ignored responsive pleadings, applied the wrong standard of review, made impermissible factual findings, and treated valid defenses as insufficient. Read the full opinion PDF.
- What is Entertainment Managers LLC?
- Entertainment Managers LLC is a Kalamazoo company that manages Loft 310 and related event venues in the downtown Entertainment District, including spaces in the Rosenbaum Building. Ryan Reedy is the business manager.
- Where can I read the court opinions?
- Key documents for this article:
Loft 310, operated by Entertainment Managers LLC in the Entertainment District in downtown Kalamazoo, includes multiple venues: Wild Bull, District Square, The Chapel, Sky Deck, Monaco Bay, and The Gatsby. The Rosenbaum Building anchors the district.