Who Actually Invented the Workstation Sink? Here Is the Documented Timeline

Rachiele built and sold the first documented workstation sink on October 28, 2010, a year before the next-earliest documented account.

For years, I have watched other companies tell their own version of how the workstation sink came to be. I have never spent much time correcting the record publicly, because I have always believed the work speaks for itself. But I recently came across something worth sharing because it settles a question I get asked often: who actually built the first workstation sink?

I am not going to ask you to take my word for it. I am going to show you the paperwork and tell you exactly where to verify the rest yourself.

Original 2010 Invoice: First Documented Workstation Sink

Attached to this post is an invoice from Rachiele®, dated October 28, 2010. It documents a paid order for a textured stainless apron front sink, 33 inches by 20.5 inches by 7.5 inches, with a right rear drain and a 5/8 inch lip. The sink was built with interior steps set 2 inches down from the rim, front and back, engineered specifically to hold a cutting board and other accessories at a working height inside the basin.

Rachiele® invoice dated October 28, 2010, documenting the original two-step ledge design built into this workstation sink

That ledge system, steps built into the sink itself so that a cutting board or accessory sits in the bowl and functions as part of the workspace, is the defining feature of what the industry now calls a workstation sink. It is not a lip. It is not a coincidence of geometry. It was designed and built that way, on purpose, in 2010. The only change between that sink and what we build today is that our ledge depth has been refined from 2 inches down to 1 inch on apron front sinks.

The customer who purchased that sink and assisted with the design ordered it without accessories at first, and added his own cutting board later, which is common. The photo he sent us, taken that Christmas of 2010, shows the sink with his lifetime transferable warranty paperwork in the bowl.

Photo sent by the customer, taken that Christmas after his sink was delivered

How to Verify the 2011 Galley Origin Story Yourself

I am not going to reproduce their website copy here. Instead, here is the exact record, so you can verify it yourself in under a minute. On March 15, 2016, the Internet Archive captured their "About" page under the heading "The Galley Story." In their own words, they trace the idea back to 2011, when Roger Shollmier built the first version for his own kitchen before building a few more for friends and clients. You can view that archived capture directly here.

I want to be clear about what I am and am not claiming. I am not disputing that Roger Shollmier had his own idea in 2011, or that he built something meaningful that a lot of people have come to love. What I am pointing out is simple: a paid, dated invoice for an integrated-step workstation sink from Rachiele, October 2010, predates that account by roughly a year, according to their own words on their own site.

Why the Workstation Sink Inventor Record Matters

I have never patented the original workstation sink concept, even though we hold close to ten patents on refinements and related designs since. I made that decision on purpose. I felt the idea was too useful to lock behind a patent that would have limited it to the roughly 300 families we build for each year. I would rather the idea spread and help people cook better, even if that meant other companies would eventually build their own versions of it.

What I do care about is the story getting told accurately. The design philosophy behind that 2010 sink is the same one that guides every sink we build today: a real conversation about how a family actually cooks, cleans, and lives in their kitchen before a single line is drawn. Today, every sink is hand crafted by our four artisans, who sign their own work. That commitment to conversation first, craftsmanship second, has not changed in over two decades, and it is not going to.

Cooking meatballs in an electric fryer basin, set on our multi-use grid, on a 60 inch Dual Tier Harmony™ Workstation Sink. The ledge system that started with that first 2010 sink has since evolved into a far more advanced platform, one that now supports full meal preparation.

If you are comparing brands, also read our 5 mistakes to avoid when buying a workstation sink and the workstation sink buying guide. Both focus on engineering details that marketing photos skip.

Workstation Sink Inventor FAQ

Who invented the workstation sink?

Dino Rachiele of Rachiele Custom Sinks designed and sold the first documented workstation sink with integrated interior ledges on October 28, 2010, based on a dated customer invoice and photo evidence.

When was the first workstation sink made?

The first documented Rachiele workstation sink was invoiced on October 28, 2010. A customer photo from Christmas 2010 shows the installed sink with warranty paperwork.

What proof exists for the 2010 workstation sink?

A Rachiele invoice dated October 28, 2010 for a textured stainless apron-front sink with interior steps engineered for cutting boards and accessories, plus a customer photo taken that Christmas.

How does that compare with the 2011 Galley account?

An Internet Archive capture of The Galley Story traces their idea to 2011. The 2010 Rachiele invoice predates that account by about a year. You can view that archived capture directly here.

Talk It Through With Dino

Have questions about how our workstation sinks are built, or want to see the difference between an integrated ledge system and accessories sitting on a standard sink? Schedule a complimentary Zoom with Dino or call 407-880-6903. No sales pitch, no obligation.