The Importance of Uniforms
The Importance of Uniforms
Your restaurant has an image to present. In addition to the quality of food and the appeal of the environment you offer, your staff members embody an important impression to patrons in your community. And a significant aspect of your employees’ appearance involves the uniforms they wear each day.
Uniforms are important on multiple levels. Not only do they provide a certain look and feel for customers, a specific dress code can also affect the attitude of your staff. If you offer outfits that are stylish and comfortable, employees will take pride in their appearance while also feeling part of a very positive team atmosphere. Furthermore, trendy uniforms will make your eatery stand out from the competition. Servers who are dressed attractively enhance your restaurant’s overall image.
How Uniforms Create an Image
Since your employees have the most interaction with the public, their appearance is integral to how customers perceive your restaurant. So uniforms set the tone of how your establishment is viewed. For this reason, it’s crucial to consider what you want your uniforms to convey.
Think about the atmosphere of your eatery. Is it formal or comfy? Do you want a sports-oriented focus or is family-friendly a bigger priority to you? Whatever direction you choose, your employees’ uniforms should reflect this preference.
Why Branding is Essential
Now that you have an idea of the image you want your uniforms to represent, it’s time to explore the importance of branding. Every brand is unique, kind of like a fingerprint. You’ve taken the time to present your restaurant’s image in everything from the style of the logo to the seat color of the booths. The same type of detail needs to be applied to your employees’ uniforms.
Perhaps embroidering your logo on a certain piece of apparel such as an apron will provide effective branding. Or you might decide to go in a different direction and screen print a meaningful image on t-shirts for your employees to wear. Either way, customers will associate the uniforms’ brand with the experience of eating at your establishment. And that’s the key to branding success.
Different Uniforms for Different Roles
You’ve developed the perfect uniform for your restaurant staff. It has the image and brand you want customers to connect to your restaurant. Now let’s take it a step further. By creating variations in your overall uniform to help patrons identify different members of your team, you’re providing a helpful service.
Different uniforms for management, hosts or hostesses, servers and bartenders, for instance, will enable guests identify any staff member they may need. You don’t have to complicate matters with numerous alterations in the dress code. A simple change of color or the addition of certain apparel such as an apron can do the trick.
Picking the Right Fabric
While you certainly want to supply your staff with striking uniforms, comfort should always be a priority. The last thing you need is to have grouchy employees because the provided apparel is scratchy or clunky in any way. So take the time to choose the right fabric. Cotton-polyester blends work well because they have better washability, durability, color retention and are permanent press.
From a 100 percent cotton that’s breathable and resists pilling to stain resistant/stain release that minimizes blemishes, which often occur around food, the possibilities are almost endless in terms of material.
Cost-Effectiveness
Of course you’d like your staff to have snazzy uniforms. But if the price is too high, it’s easy to walk away. However, in order to get the most from the fabric and withstand the wear and tear of lots of washing and spilled food, you may have to invest more money into your chosen apparel.
The nice thing is that if you spend a little extra to get quality fabrics, you’ll save more because you won’t have to replace as many uniforms in the long run. Also, by purchasing a larger quantity of uniforms, you can be sure to conserve money as well. It’s good to have a back-up supply of uniforms for new hires and any replacements that inevitably come up over time.
The Right Fit
Different styles of uniforms have a wide range of fitting options. If you’ve chosen a uniform style that is more fitted, you may have to measure your employees before putting in an order. Remember to measure the body. Don’t measure over shirts or slacks. Otherwise, you won’t get an accurate measurement.
The right fit is another important aspect of a uniform’s impact on both the employee and the customer. If a uniform doesn’t fit correctly, the entire purpose of having your staff look a certain way is ruined.
Get Started
Now that you know why uniforms matter so much, it’s the perfect time to start thinking about how you can create a positive image simply by the way your staff is dressed. The right uniform will encourage camaraderie among your staff while also presenting a happy atmosphere to every patron who walks through your doors. You can’t go wrong when you have apparel that both sells your image and brings your staff together in productive ways. From your employees to your customers and even to you, it’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.
