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Industry Testimonials

Scott Miller, Owner & President

State Restaurant Equipment Co. Las Vegas, NV

My company has been in business since 1967 and we specialize in tabletop design as well as kitchen tools, equipment, and kitchen decor ideas. We are a table setting design distributor in the Las Vegas market. Our passion for delivering excellence in table top design is what led us to Dining Elevated.  Their products were like nothing we'd seen before. Our customers expect the highest level of quality and food safety from our offerings and this collection filled a gap that we didn't even realize we had.  Dining Elevated's simple, functional flatware rests improve customer experience from every angle. Once they're introduced to clients and customers, the feedback we get is that people do not want to eat without them again.  Clients even experience a bit of shrinkage due to customers taking them home for personal use. We're glad diners like them this much, though. It's a food safety measure that speaks for itself and is redefining how people want to eat in cleaner, safer environments.

Carl Sabinas, Business Manager

General Stamping and Metalworks - South Bend, IN

As the American manufacturer of several flatware rests in the Dining Elevated line, we are proud to work with this truly "Made in the USA" company to provide items that have such a large potential to positively impact the public health and food safety of the everyday consumer. The 304 stainless steel that we utilize for manufacturing is one of the most, if not the most, commonly used food grade stainless steel on the market. I fully believe that in a few short years we will look back at this tableware accessory and ask ourselves how we ever lived and dined without them!  I even asked if I could take some of the Uplifts off the production line so I could have them to use with my family at home and when we eat out.

Seth Grugle, Vice President

ICR Lifestyle Lab New York, NY- Food Industry Consulting

As a food industry consultant, I came into contact with the Dining Elevated flatware rests recently and haven't been able to get over how useful and necessary they are across all classes of fine dining and casual dining establishments. Knowing, first-hand, how much Public Relations work is necessary after food-borne illness issues plague restaurant ownership, I focus specifically on the hygienic food safety angle here. The hygienic benefits of using cutlery rests in restaurants, especially in an era of hyper sensitivity around cleanliness, allergens, and everything in between, speaks for itself. I'm also in love with the integral design aspect of the product; it's versatile, elegant and, above all, functional in any setting. We've all seen the headlines about ungodly levels of bacteria found in unexpected places ... like "freshly cleaned" tabletops ... and this single dining table accessory instantly removes the danger that those persistent contaminants present. I recommend this Uplifts to every client I can. Its straightforward design and hygienic purpose protects restaurant ownership and protects the public at large.

Melissa Ayres, Owner & CEO

Amaris International Hotel Design & Consulting, Los Angeles, CA

For 20 years, I've been the CEO of a company that updates, redesigns, and sources product for luxury hotel interiors worldwide. I've designed several hundred original products and imported tens of thousands more to achieve my clients' designs.  While I'm typically not impressed by 'new ideas' in the marketplace - I've been everywhere and seen everything - I was actually very interested in the Dining Elevated utensil rests.  It improves the dining experience from both an aesthetic perspective and a food safety perspective.  Hotels are always looking for ways to reduce risk in their industry and generate long term customer engagement and this is one of the easiest and cheapest ways they can do that. I appreciate that this place setting accessory works in the luxury market as much as sub-luxury.  Everyone deserves access to safer dining environments, no matter how much they're paying for their meal.

Sean Wise, Strategic Partnership Manager

World Food Championships, Presented by Walmart

I am a coordinator of the largest Food Sport Competition in the world.  World Food Championships, presented by Walmart, features regional food competitions throughout the US and 13 countries. These competitions all wrap up with an annual 5-day food event that attracts the attendance of 30,000+ people from around the globe. One of my key roles is setting out the strategy for keeping thousands of people safe in a highly dynamic food environment.  For the first time in our company's history, we now have the opportunity to partner with Dining Elevated in order to reduce the real danger of cross-contamination in our culinary arenas, tasting villages, product expos, and throughout the activation spaces.  Nothing like their cutlery rests has been available in the restaurant supply, catered events, or tableware accessories marketplace before.  Now that we have access to it, we won't run our events without them again.  This product has revolutionized the way we think of keeping our attendees, competitors and food judges safe.

Chris Dolan, Restaurant Owner

Terra Fiamma - Delray Beach, Florida

Big Wave Dave's - Orange Beach, Alabama

I came across the Dining Elevated silverware rests through word of mouth.  The second I heard about it, I knew I needed it. As a proprietor of several restaurants in Florida and Alabama, one of the biggest problems I face every day is making sure my staff adheres to the health code regulations for proper cloth sanitization! It’s an hourly battle to make sure that we don’t have the dirtiest tabletops in America! I will never stop fighting to ensure that we AREN'T making the surfaces dirtier than before we cleaned them, but the Dining Elevated utensil rests give everyone - me, my staff, and most importantly, my restaurant customers - the assurance that their stainless steel flatware are protected from unintended tabletop contamination. The idea is so simple, I’m wondering why we aren’t all required to provide flatware rests? I certainly will be going forward. 

Cecile Blin, Senior Charter Broker

Northrop & Johnson Global Yacht Sales & Charters

Dining Elevated is to us, Northrop & Johnson Yacht Sales and Charters, an innovator. Their product has been missing in our industry. The necessity of achieving cleanliness at the highest levels on all of our yachts is paramount. The sophistication and elegance that flatware rests add to our clients' experience is a bonus, but a necessary bonus in our luxury space.  It’s such a small thing, but it has such a memorable and lasting impact. Clients call me asking where they can get the tableware accessory to entertain with in their homes when they finish their vacations.  We place Uplifts on our yachts all over the world to add another layer of food safety protection for our clients and our company.

Bruce Sulzberg, Chef & Food Design Consultant

A Chef's World, Inc. Las Vegas, NV

Being a professional chef and food design consultant, I have traveled the world for both work and pleasure in pursuit of experiencing and creating the perfect dining experience. To be honest, until I discovered the Dining Elevated flatware rests, any experience I had was not complete.  Even in the best 5-star restaurants, I've personally always felt stress around not having my utensils touch the dining table or even the tablecloth surface after they've left a clean napkin. The tiny detail that this place setting accessory contributes provides a tremendous amount of relief from the subconscious strain we all have throughout a meal.  Having utensils touch the dining table directly distracts me from what I must focus on for my job.  When I discovered the Dining Elevated cutlery rests, I was shocked that I hadn't come across them sooner.  Until now, either no one realized how important this is or hadn't cared enough to make flatware rests a part of modern table manners etiquette. I don't leave home without them. Every restaurant should be required to provide them, and I recommend them to every chef I work with.

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