Restaurant Uniform Design Ideas
What makes a dining experience memorable?
The first thing you’ll think of is the food, naturally. The next part of a great evening out is the service. Poor service can overshadow a great menu, and great service can often make up for an otherwise lackluster experience. The third piece, which you may not give as much thought to, is the restaurant’s aesthetics and feel.
The most successful restaurants understand that the architecture, layout, decor, lighting, acoustics, music and uniforms play a critical role in giving your guests a world class experience.
What we do better than anyone in the world is design and create custom uniforms for restaurants, bars, hotels, retail and other service workers.
We work hard with our clients to ensure that their restaurant’s uniforms elevate the overall feel and aesthetics of their establishment.
If you’re looking for restaurant uniform ideas and inspiration you’ve come to the right spot.
In this article, we’ll take a look at four custom uniforms we’ve put together for clients that will hopefully provide a spark of inspiration for your own restaurant’s uniforms.
Four Restaurant Uniform Ideas
1. Cool, Laid Back Korean American Restaurant Uniform
Parachute restaurant is a Michelin-starred Korean-American neighborhood restaurant. It features a cool, laid back vibe which we set out to match with the perfect uniform kit.
The foundation of the uniform design that we did for Parachute was the linen smock-style apron. The apron has a naturally flowy appearance and features cross-back straps and dual jean-style side pockets.
We paired this with a wide-cropped, short sleeve tee made from lightweight fabric.
2. Upscale Seafood Restaurant Uniform
Lure Fishbar is an upscale seafood restaurant that offers the freshest fish selections from around the world, a killer raw bar, and world class sushi.
The restaurant has a high-end nautical theme. We started with a navy blue double-breasted vest that matched the theme. The vertical thin-striped shirts, along with broad striped blue ties, continue to build on that. Finally we added a splash of color with maroon aprons.
This look can easily be adapted to fit any high end restaurant. The color choice and style leaned into the theme that Lure Fishbar was trying to capture. However, with different colors and patterns the double-breasted vest is a great piece to build a uniform kit around.
3. Contemporary Spin On The Classic Steakhouse Uniform
RPM Steak is a well established modern steakhouse located in Chicago.
The uniforms we designed for them have served as inspiration for many clients over the years. The suit coat, which we lovingly named the “RPM jacket” has been produced more than any other custom item in our catalog.
The jacket is constructed from a tropical weight white poly fabric (to keep the busy servers from overheating) that we paired with a white dress shirt, black tie and white slacks.
The suit coat can be mixed and matched with different shirts and ties to create a unique look perfect for any fine dining experience. Alternatively, the white jacket can be swapped out for a more traditional black jacket which would fit in neatly at a more traditional steakhouse.
4. Japanese Influenced Restaurant Uniform
Momotaro is a Japanese inspired restaurant in Chicago that we had the pleasure of creating uniforms for.
The signature item for this particular outfit is the crossback cotton canvas aprons that include braided cotton to give the impression of rope. The shirts are a lightweight button down charcoal gray.
To lend a distinctive touch, we etched the Momotaro logo onto the back of the leather cord-stopper on the apron. One element that is often overlooked when putting together uniforms are the details. We take great pride in finding fun, functional ways that tie the entire look together.
Type Of Uniforms To Select From
Curated Uniforms
Curated uniforms are uniforms that are in stock and ready to be shipped straight away.
Click here to have a look at our hand-selected curated styles that are ready to ship.
Some benefits associated with stock uniforms:
- No minimum order requirements - pay for what you need.
- Tried and tested styles and fabrics.
- Durable
- Perfect for mixing and matching
- Time efficient - in stock so ready to be shipped from the moment of order
- Money efficient - No extra or wasted inventory costs
Made-To-Order
We also have a catalog of custom, made-to-order uniform pieces. These are items (like the RPM jacket) that we’ve made for other clients over the years. This means we do not have to start from scratch when we’re designing and manufacturing the product.
It is important to note that when ordering made-to-order pieces you will need to allow 4-6 weeks for production. This option is considered to be more expensive than selecting from our curated stock. Therefore, if you have a restricted budget we recommend choosing a select piece from our made-to-order section and mixing and matching this with our curated uniform pieces.
Custom Uniform Orders
Can’t find the exact uniform you’re looking for? Why not have your uniforms custom designed and made to fit your needs.
We can support you and your team with quick-ship products from our catalog, small customizations of those products, or a uniform program that is fully custom designed and produced from the ground up.
Our team of designers can design from scratch using only interior photos or renderings, or help to bring your existing ideas to life. We understand how important it is to get uniform right and that is why we sample everything prior to production, so your team can test for fit, quality and function This allows for any last-minute changes before the final production takes place.
What Makes A Good Restaurant Uniform?
When it comes to selecting a uniform for your staff there are a few key factors you might want to consider.
Color: When selecting a color for your uniform it is important to consider the restaurant's branding and color scheme. A uniform should add to the overall atmosphere of a restaurant - not distract or take away from it.
Material: When choosing a material it needs to be both comfortable and durable. You want your staff to feel confident in the uniform you provide them.
Therefore, we recommend choosing materials that breathe well, especially for staff members that are constantly on the move such as servers. Try to avoid materials like nylon that can be uncomfortable and clingy.
Branding: While we don’t usually advocate for embroidering your restaurant’s name on every uniform item, unique, interesting and subtle branding touches are always a welcome addition.
Instead of throwing your logo on the sleeve of your shirt, or the front of your bib apron, try a custom enamel pin. If you’re a more formal establishment, a custom tie bar is a very nice touch as well.
Our thought is, if people are already in your restaurant, they more than likely know where they are - no reason to plaster your name and logo all over like you’re at an insurance sales conference. Well-designed, properly fitting uniform pieces with unique design touches are a far more effective way to make your brand memorable.
Why Should Your Restaurant Invest In Custom Uniforms?
The Textile Rental Services Association ran a study that concluded employees in uniform are viewed as more competent, trustworthy and approachable.
When restaurants invest in custom-made, high-quality uniforms, they improve the overall experience and customers feel the product quality is higher.