Myrth x Hai Hospitality: How a Trade Show Conversation Became a National Partnership

We were at the Utility Trade Show in Chicago in 2024. It's where we spend time every year in conversation with the hospitality world: chefs, operators, designers who are thinking seriously about every element of their restaurants, including what goes on the table.

We met the Hai Hospitality team there. They know exactly what a glaze does under restaurant lighting, how a bowl's rim affects a dish, how a plate feels when it lands on the table. They picked up our pieces and connected with them immediately. The kind of response that has Eric and me grinning ear to ear. The conversation turned into something real.

Hai Hospitality is the James Beard Award-winning group behind three distinct concepts, all rooted in Japan and expanding nationally. Uchi, the original, is built around the intimacy and warmth of the sushi bar: the idea that every seat in the restaurant should feel as personal as a seat at the bar. Uchiko, its fire-forward sibling, brings smoke and char alongside the clean, precise flavors Hai is known for. Uchiba is the more casual entry point: an izakaya-inspired bar with Japanese cocktails, yakitori, and the same level of care in a smaller, more intimate format. Three different experiences, one standard of intention.

Uchiko Denver opened in Cherry Creek North in the former Ginny Williams Gallery space, a significant renovation and addition designed by Denver-based Semple Brown. Our Appetizer Plate in Sienna and Basso Bowl in Sungold are on every table.

Uchi Charlotte opens March 31. The design was led by Hai's own Hai Design Studio in collaboration with local interior designer Mother Studio and Asheville-based Reinertson-Evans, with Zebra serving as architect of record. For Charlotte, Hai specified our Morsel Plate and Appetizer Plate in Nightfall, Dove, and Rosewood, with Tasting Bowl and Basso Bowl in Canyon and Rosewood.

Uchi DC follows in mid-April, with nearly the same specification carried across from Charlotte. That consistency is deliberate. When a hospitality group at this level lands on a tableware spec and replicates it across locations, it means the pieces performed. It means they work in the dishwasher, on the line, and on the table: night after night, 300 covers deep.

Restaurant-grade porcelain isn't a phrase we use lightly. Our pieces are vitrified at high temperature with proprietary clay and glaze recipes developed specifically for durability. The ring test: tap a plate with a spoon and listen for the clear, sustained tone that signals proper glaze fit. Every piece we make passes it. That matters in a home kitchen. It matters a great deal more in a restaurant.

Charlotte photos are coming once they open. DC to follow in April. We'll be back at the Utility Trade Show in Chicago this May. If you're a chef or hospitality operator thinking about tableware for an upcoming opening, come find us.

See our full hospitality portfolio at myrth.us/hospitality.