Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/579895
40 PalletCentral • September-October 2015 palletcentral.com f the walls of the Forklift & Palate Restaurant could talk, they would tell a tale of American enterprise and vision comingled with respect and care for the environment. The Forklift & Palate Restaurant is housed along with The Warehouse Hotel and Spooky Nook Sports facility in a repurposed industrial warehouse in Manheim, PA. Located in the heart of the famed Pennsylvania Dutch country, the restaurant offers authentic down- home American hospitality, new twists on classic American culinary favorites, and surroundings that incorporate imaginative uses of the building's original industrial trappings, including pallets, pallet slats and cable spools. Yes, we're talking about pallets, wooden shipping skids that were stashed onsite when the former Armstrong World Industries distribution center was purchased and converted into a world-class sports training and entertainment center in 2011. The Forklift & Palate Restaurant features recycled and repurposed materials from the original warehouse throughout the facility, right down to the cement in the driveway and the pallets that frame display murals on the walls. Tables in the restaurant and bar area made from used pallet slats sit adjacent to tables made from large circular wire spools lending a casual, rustic ambiance to the space. Every wall in the restaurant is unique; many are faced with pallet slats and other recycled materials. Even the menu holster at the hostess station is made from used pallet slats. "Everybody loves the décor. It's very natural, very authentic. And it's a comfortable setting where people can relax and chill with friends, buddies and teammates," said Tim Brandt, Forklift & Palate Restaurant manager. "The place has a great vibe and people feel really good about the green theme I Nature's Packaging: The Forklift & Palate Restaurant REUSE Photography © Stephanie Jordan