How we began
Beverage Pantry™ was born out of a simple and altruistic need: to provide a safe, compliant, and accessible way for employees to stay hydrated without compromising workplace regulations. Hospitals, manufacturing floors, restaurants, and other industries all share a common challenge—keeping drinks accessible while maintaining safety and cleanliness standards. I knew there had to be a better way!
I’m Kris, the founder of LYM Design LLC and the creator of Beverage Pantry™.
As a dual-licensed occupational and physical therapist and a healthcare executive, I’ve spent over three decades in the industry.
The idea for Beverage Pantry™ first took root in 1997, when I was reprimanded for leaving my water cup at a nursing station while working as a therapist. I knew then that there had to be a better way for healthcare workers to stay hydrated while maintaining compliance, so I started documenting ideas on my home computer.
Over the years, I continued adding to my concept, refining the idea, and gathering insights from others around me.
In 2020, everything changed. I sat at my desk with a cup of coffee and watched a nurse walk out of a patient’s room, exhausted, drenched in sweat from wearing full protective gear.
She had just spent more than an hour caring for a dependent patient, and all she wanted was a sip of water, but she had to walk all the way to the break room to get it.
At that moment, I knew . . . I had to bring my idea to life.
With robust input from healthcare professionals, I designed Beverage Pantry™ to seamlessly integrate into any workplace. It’s regulatory-compliant, easy to clean, and versatile enough to fit the many dynamic work environments where hydration is often an afterthought.
Inspired by the voices of those on the front lines - industry experts and employees striving to meet compliance demands, we’ve created a solution that eases the burden of infection control and fosters a healthier, safer, and happier workplace for everyone. This is more than just a hydration solution — it’s about valuing the people who keep our hospitals running, our factories producing, and our restaurants serving.
Employees shouldn’t have to hide their drinks in drawers or walk across the building just to take a sip of water.
Beverage Pantry eliminates those frustrations so that hydration is always within reach.
This isn’t just about compliance—it’s about supporting the well-being of the workforce in a way that’s long overdue.
I think of all the times I really needed a drink, especially after speaking about the importance of hydration to our patients but was not going to leave my patient and go back to my desk, even though it was what I really needed.
This product would have solved the problem, while showing the patient I practice what I preach.
— Colleen, Physical Therapy Assistant
I created Beverage Pantry™ because I believe that when we take care of the people who take care of others, everyone feels the ripple effect.
LYM Design stands for Love You More, a phrase that holds deep meaning for our family. It was one of the last things my daughter said before she tragically passed away in 2016 at just twelve years old. Her mantra, as Maya Angelou shared, was to try to be the rainbow in someone else’s cloud and that philosophy is at the heart of everything we do.
With every Beverage Pantry™ installed, we hope to carry on her legacy - adding ease to the everyday, supporting those around us, and making life a little more compassionate.