About Us

Mike Kazes at a Las Vegas resort & casino standing next to a 84 plate collapsible Plate-Mate PM84-135.

Mike Kazes at a Las Vegas resort & casino standing next to a 84 plate collapsible Plate-Mate PM84-135.

Plate-Mate® was established in 1998 in Ohio by Mark Erlitz and Michael Kazes. They were looking for a better way to serve very large banquets faster and more efficiently at their business, AA Executive Event Center. They were tired of guests getting cold food, or half the room was ready for dessert while others were still waiting for their main course. They realized the need for better equipment geared specifically to the banquet chef and for the smaller kitchen and prep areas. They realized that while every chef would love to have unlimited kitchen space, the floor space of the kitchen is often sacrificed for front of the house floor space. They wanted equipment that could compensate for the loss of counter and floor space in any facility. Plate-Mate® accomplishes this.

Mr. Kazes has been in the restaurant business nearly his whole life. His family owned and operated various restaurants when he was growing up, and as an adult he has owned Michael’s Restaurant in Canton, Ohio, while also owning and operating A.A. Executive Catering, Inc. along with developing the Plate-Mate line in the USA with his long time business partner Mark Erlitz.

Mr. Erlitz has owned and operated various businesses in Ohio from software development to real estate. He was also a professor of Accounting. Both men are blessed to be married with children and are family oriented.