Welcome to Faces of Hospitality, a new series from Eaton Essentials celebrating the people who make our industry so special. Each month, we'll spotlight the incredible individuals behind the manufacturers, dealer partners, end users, and Eaton team members who help shape hospitality every day. From career journeys and industry insights to personal stories and the passion that drives them, our goal is simple: to put a face to the names behind the brands and recognize the people making a lasting impact across foodservice. Because while great products matter, it's the people behind them who truly make hospitality memorable.
Behind every memorable dining experience are the people who bring creativity, expertise, and a genuine passion for hospitality to the table.
In this edition of Faces of Hospitality: Manufacturer Partner Edition, we’re highlighting Katie Connelly, Director of National Accounts at Mikasa Hospitality. From her early days working nearly every corner of a hotel to building a career in tabletop sales, Katie has experienced the hospitality industry from both sides of the table.
Today, she brings that experience — along with an eye for design, a love of relationship-building, and plenty of personality — to Mikasa Hospitality.
Finding Her Place at the Table
Katie’s introduction to hospitality started long before tabletop sales.
“One of my first jobs ever was at a Holiday Inn — back when they were cool,” she jokes.
From bartending to working as a line cook, Katie experienced several facets of the industry before eventually finding what she calls her “forever home” in tabletop sales.
That hands-on background helped shape her understanding of what hospitality really means. For Katie, it isn’t necessarily the grand gestures that make an experience memorable. It’s the details.
“Hospitality, to me, means the little things that you remember from an interaction,” Katie says. “Receiving a warm welcome at the door, remembering your drink order, and going above and beyond to make each dining experience a special moment to remember.”
Building a Career from the Ground Up
One of Katie’s proudest career moments came during her first year in sales, when she moved to Houston, Texas, and found herself taking on a completely unfamiliar market.
“I poured my blood, sweat and tears into a market I knew nothing about,” she says.
The work paid off. Katie finished her first year at 40% over plan, and seven out of ten of her restaurant installations were later recognized by Houstonia magazine among the city’s best new restaurants.
For Katie, it was proof of what persistence, relationship-building, and a willingness to learn can accomplish.
Along the way, she also had mentors who helped shape the way she approaches the industry today. One of the most influential was Maria Iuppa, a former VP at Katie’s previous company.
“She guided me through all the craziness this industry can throw at you and taught me how to persevere and problem-solve with grace,” Katie says. “She also taught me the art of table setups for trade shows or customer presentations.”
That emphasis on learning from others continues to influence Katie’s approach to sales.
Her favorite piece of advice? Ask questions.
“Selling is not about how much product knowledge you have, it’s about connecting with your customer and understanding their needs,” she explains. “Lean into your industry friends’ knowledge and tenured experience. Two heads are better than one!”
A More Creative Tabletop
After years in the tabletop industry, Katie is especially excited about how much creativity is making its way onto the table.
Color may have opened the door, but she’s now seeing designers and operators experiment with mixed textures, glazes, unexpected materials, and increasingly imaginative shapes.
One example she points to is EcoMade by Fine2Dine, which has explored nature-inspired forms — including the Icon collection, inspired by the shape and texture of a horseshoe crab.
“I’m excited to see more of an artistic influence on the table and with presentation,” Katie says. “First it was the introduction of color, then mixed textures and glazes, and now some of the most imaginative shapes are being created.”
She finds inspiration beyond manufacturers, too. Katie loves following catering accounts on Instagram to see the creative ways chefs and hospitality professionals are approaching plating and presentation.
Bringing Mikasa to Hospitality
Mikasa has been a familiar name in tabletop for more than half a century, known for dinnerware, glassware, and decorative accessories.
As Katie puts it: “You’ve probably eaten off Mikasa at your grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving.”
Today, Mikasa Hospitality is bringing that recognizable design heritage into the commercial hospitality space, with collections created for the diverse styles and demands of restaurants, hotels, resorts, and other foodservice environments.
Backing the brand is parent company Lifetime Brands, whose scale provides significant buying power. According to Katie, Lifetime Brands purchases more than 26 million pieces of bone china, helping Mikasa Hospitality deliver high-quality tabletop products at competitive market pricing.
Mikasa Hospitality also partners with carefully selected European brands, expanding its portfolio with distinctive designs and products for the U.S. hospitality market.
And the innovation isn’t slowing down.
One trend Katie is particularly excited about is glass plateware.
“Glass plateware is making a huge splash,” she says. “It’s not your average glass salad plate anymore!”
She points to ArdaCam, a women-owned company from Turkey specializing in spun-glass designs for foodservice. From small amuse-bouche pieces to detailed statement platters, the collections demonstrate just how far glass tabletop has evolved.
A Partnership Worth Celebrating
For Eaton Essentials, our relationship with Katie and Mikasa Hospitality is an especially meaningful one.
In 2025, Eaton Essentials was named Mikasa Hospitality’s Rep of the Year — an honor that reflects the strength of the partnership between our teams.
“We value our relationship with Eaton Essentials because they are an extension of our sales team,” Katie says. “They are the experts in the Florida market and bring the passion and excitement to tabletop.”
Strong manufacturer-rep relationships allow us to do more than simply represent products. They give our team the knowledge, resources, and manufacturer support needed to help dealers, designers, chefs, and operators find solutions that truly fit their concepts.
As Katie puts it, “There is no way we could have the success we’ve accomplished without partnering with reps like Eaton Essentials.”
And we couldn’t be happier to have Mikasa Hospitality as one of the partners we get to represent.
Beyond Tabletop
When Katie isn’t talking tabletop, there’s a good chance she’s embracing her inner sci-fi and fantasy fan.
“I am a Star Wars & Lord of the Rings fan! I love sci-fi and all things magical,” she says.
She also has one skill prospective challengers may want to think twice about testing.
“I am freakishly good at pop-a-shot. Challenge me!”
You can connect with Katie Instagram at @maytheforksbwu, where she’s always looking for new food accounts, recipes, and culinary inspiration.
Celebrating the People Behind Hospitality
Our Faces of Hospitality series celebrates the people throughout the foodservice industry who make great hospitality possible — from our manufacturer partners and representatives to chefs, operators, dealers, designers, and the members of our own team.
Katie’s story is a reminder that some of the best careers in hospitality begin by simply jumping in, asking questions, building relationships, and staying curious about what comes next.
We’re proud to work alongside Katie and the entire Mikasa Hospitality team, and we’re excited to see what they bring to the table next.
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