Dress for Success: How to Choose the Perfect Restaurant Uniforms
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As with any business in the service industry, the way your restaurant staff is dressed can greatly influence customers’ perceptions. You can have the most lavish interior, but if your staff doesn’t look polished and professional, your visitors won’t leave with a good impression. With that being said, dressing your staff in the right uniforms is super important for your general success. In order to create the perfect look for your crew, here’s what you should consider.
Colour
The colour of something is the first thing that catches the eye. In the case of restaurants, you can go two ways – bright and bold, or dark and subdued. Bright and bold colours such as red or yellow, are mostly found in themed restaurants or family restaurants. These venues use hues that pop in order to animate their customer base. If this is your goal, feel free to incorporate any colour of your choosing. If you have a logo, replicating its colours with uniforms is a great way to promote your brand.
On the other hand, if you’re running a more formal and elegant restaurant that is visited by a more serious crowd, stick to uniforms in neutral colours such as black, white, grey or brown. In fact, you can never go wrong with black uniforms. In upscale restaurants, the servers and bussers are required to perform as discreetly as possible and disappear into the background as to not distract the guests. As a result, a staff wearing black uniforms in combination with dimmed lighting can allow guests to enjoy a more private dining experience. In addition, stains are less likely to be noticed on black uniforms, which means your crew will always look clean and polished.
Materials
In addition to picking the right colours, you also need to pay attention to the materials the uniforms are made of. Not only can certain materials create a more serious image, but they can also keep your crew comfortable while they perform their job. Since their job requires them to be constantly on the move, your employees will appreciate uniforms made of materials that allow their skin to breathe and offer a great deal of freedom of movement. With that being said, cotton and viscose are often the best choice as they are breathable and do not get smelly as polyester.
Branding
Considering how uniforms make a visual impression, they are a great tool for imprinting your unique brand into customers’ minds. For instance, if your interior has rustic or industrial features, you can consider edgy, black uniforms with leather aprons that will further enhance the feeling. If you consider that it’s best to stay on the formal side, you can showcase your unique brand with the help of accessories such as pins or embroidery with your logo, scarves in your business’ colours, apron straps or other small features.
