Restaurants and hospitality industries thrive on building personal relationships with customers. This can start with the impact the restaurant and hospitality uniforms have on customers, whether new or regular. Apart from being nice to customers, the staff should also be presentable. In fact, the first thing customers see when a staff member approaches is the uniform, not the attitude of the staff.
As a restaurant owner, you should ensure your employees are adorned in hospitable uniforms. This starts with designing the best uniform that suits the occasion.
Here are the 5 factors to consider when designing restaurant and hospitality uniforms:
1. Brand Building Opportunity
Brand image is important for any business, not just restaurant businesses. But not every business has an opportunity to build its image through uniforms, as restaurants have. When designing a restaurant and uniform, remember you want to tell the world about your business. For instance, a logo and motto that will stick in your customers’ memories — something they can fall in love with. Choose attractive colors and patterns.
You can even include business contacts on the shirts or sweaters to speak. This way, the uniforms will always speak for the business wherever worn.
2. Location and Setting
Is the restaurant located in a mostly cold or warm area? You should consider the answer to that question when designing a hospitality uniform. Cold areas call for heavy uniforms.
While at it, the uniform should also complement the setting. Come up with a color that blends with the place. Remember that various of your employees work in different settings, so each set of uniforms should suit the settings. What’s good for a waitperson may not be the right pick for the cashier.
3. Ease of Use
At the end of the day, you want not just to impress your customers but also to have your employees do their work with ease and comfort. Only when your staff is comfortable will they serve your customers with more dedication. In addition to being impressive, the uniform should be functionally efficient; that is, it should not hinder the employees’ day-to-day work.
A badly designed uniform might make work harder because the employees have to keep adjusting this or that, consuming a lot of time in the process.
Restaurant workers usually move around with various items. The uniform should be designed to accommodate some of these items. For instance, the uniform may have equipment belts or pouch pockets.
4. Fabrics Quality
Uniforms don’t fall under the category of special-occasions clothing. Uniforms are worn almost on a daily basis; sometimes they are wash-and-wear. It will also get stained too soon, depending on the level of work at your restaurant. For these reasons, the fabrics you select for your hospitality uniform should be sustainable – something that can withstand frequent use. Have an eye on anti-stain fabrics that are built to survive regular handling.
5. Reliable Supplier
Get a supplier with adequate materials, equipment and the latest technology to provide you with uniforms in bulk. All the uniforms should look similar to the last stitch. The difference should only be in sizes. You want your staff to look like birds of the same feather. A supplier with fewer materials or equipment will not be able to maintain your standard. You will soon note that the colors or patterns are not the same, for example.
Conclusion
By the way, take the time to listen to your employees when designing the right restaurant uniform. Uniforms play a big role in branding your hospitality business, so find an attractive design that will impress not only your customers but also your employees.