Maxwells Trading x Stock Mfg
We first caught wind of Maxwells Trading when friends and business partners Josh Tilden and Erling Wu-Bower asked for a uniform meeting a little over a year ago. Both One Off Hospitality alums, the duo had spun off and created Underscore Hospitality to open Pacific Standard Time, a short-lived but impactful culinary beacon of California cuisine in River West.
After PST, fans wondered when they’d emerge again with a fresh concept. Enter Maxwells in an unassuming converted factory in the Kinzie Industrial Corridor, just west of Fulton Market. Josh shared renderings of the modern new restaurant with us around the time construction commenced, and we began developing a uniform and merch program with brand direction from HiFi Brands.
Maxwells is a multifaceted concept consisting of a restaurant, private dining room, retail store, and greenhouse. In an effort to tie it all together, we kept most merch items in neutral colors so that they can be colored with dyes extracted from the greenhouse harvests, and then sold in the retail cafe on the first level. The initial merch offering consisted of tees, hats and screen printed bandanas.
We got more details from Erling prior to opening when he was a guest on our hospitality podcast, Joiners.
For uniforms, Erling took the lead on the BOH aprons, while Josh designed for the FOH staff. We landed on dark colored aprons that mimic the modern vibe of the space, and added subtle pops of color in the webbing strap details.
Front of house staff sports our solid black stretch service jeans and wheat banded collar shirts in the server’s choice of short or long sleeves. The dark denim accents the factory windows and hanging pendants in the dining room, while the shirts mimic its airy open layout.
Photos: Wade Hall McElroy
Top Photo: Jeff Marini