Liberty and Legacy

Liberty and Legacy: An All-American Dinner Series is a culinary collaboration developed in partnership with Mainsail Lodging and Development. The event brought together Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove’s Miami and Georgia showrooms to create an experience that honored America’s approaching 250th anniversary while bringing its meaning into the present. Through Liberty and Legacy, American craftsmanship became more than a product story; it became a way to gather people around shared tables, spark meaningful conversation, and deepen appreciation for service.

In partnership with Mainsail Lodging and Development, the company launched Liberty and Legacy: An All-American Dinner Series, a culinary collaboration that brought together chefs, community partners, and guests across Tampa, Fort Myers, Atlanta, and Fayetteville. Each evening centered on more than the meal itself, supporting veterans and military families in a way that continued long after the final course.

Proceeds from the series raised approximately $18,000 for Hire Heroes USA, a nonprofit dedicated to helping veterans and military spouses successfully transition into civilian careers. Their approach goes beyond job placement, focusing on long-term career development, resumé building, and one-on-one coaching to help individuals find long-term employment.

Hire Heroes’ mission became the center of the series. Veterans supported by Hire Heroes USA were present throughout the dinners, sharing their stories and offering insight on their experiences serving our country and the transition to civilian life. “They’re not just helping veterans find a job, they’re helping them find meaningful employment,” said Wyatt Swartz, Affiliate President of Sub-Zero Group Florida. He noted that the organization’s approach to personalized career development involved asking questions such as, “What do you love? What do you want to do? How do you really get the most out of this next chapter?”

For Swartz, this experience was also personal. His younger brother, an active-duty Army explosive ordnance disposal specialist, is approaching retirement and navigating what comes next. This connection to service also echoed values long embedded in the foundation of Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove itself. Sub-Zero's founder, Westye F. Bakke, served in World War II, making service not only a theme of this series, but also reinforcing a piece of the brand’s history.

Executive Chef Josef Zimmermann of the Luminary Hotel, pictured third from the right, stands alongside his culinary team during the event.

Each dinner took place within one of Mainsail’s properties, where demo kitchens and culinary spaces featured Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove products throughout, creating an environment where product, design, and cuisine intersected in real time. Chefs played a central role in shaping each evening, with a different flavor in every city, from Chef Joe Pankrath of Luminary Hotel leading the Tampa experience, to Sub-Zero Corporate Chef Marcello Florio bringing the brand’s perspective to Fort Myers, and Chef Vinnie Balducci carrying the series across both Georgia events.

Across all four cities, menus were fully curated by the chefs and their teams, giving them the freedom to define what “All-American” meant through their own lens. The result was a mix of refined, creative, and sometimes even unexpected dishes, including alligator sausage—a dish Swartz mentioned as one of the more memorable standouts of the series.

While the tone of the evenings remained celebratory, stories shared by veterans added gravity to the experience and reminded guests that the evening’s purpose extended beyond the meal. Ultimately, Liberty and Legacy brought together the elements that define Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove’s dedication to service by connecting guests with chefs, veterans, and a shared story of service. As that momentum continues, it also sets the stage for what comes next, including the highly anticipated opening of the Tampa showroom, where experiences like these will have a permanent home and an even greater opportunity to connect communities.