Stand Out from the Crowd: How to Personalise Your Restaurant's Uniforms

You've picked out your staff's uniforms. They consist of all the elements, but you feel like something is lacking. The traditional restaurant uniform usually consists of a crisp shirt, a functional apron, some trousers and maybe a vest or a jacket. It looks highly professional, but there isn't anything distinguishable about it. All restaurants have this template of a uniform.

If you want for your crew to stand out and leave a memorable impression on your guests, you will need to personalise your uniforms. Luckily, this can be easily achieved. There are many ways you can add some character to your staff's outfits while also preserving their professional look. Here are some smart ways to make your uniforms more original and at the same time promote your restaurant's brand.

Use Embroidery to Label Your Uniforms

A great way to make your uniforms unique is to add some embroidery. Using personalised aprons with your restaurant's logo, tagline, or something else embroidered on them can be a creative way to promote your brand. Besides adding a creative touch to the aprons, you can also use embroidery to label your employees' names on their uniforms. By doing so, your customers can put a name to your employees' faces which can help create a more personal communication. Additionally, there won't be any uniform mix-ups.

If you want to use embroidery to personalise your restaurant uniforms, there are businesses that provide this and offer discounts on bulk orders. Don't believe that printing is a cheaper branding alternative. Printing isn't as cost-efficient as embroidery, trust me on this. If you ever had a printed T-shirt, you know that prints lose some their colour after every washing cycle. This is bad news for restaurant uniforms which are washed very often. By several months of use, the prints will become faded and you will need to replace your uniforms with new ones. But this isn't the case with embroidery. Embroidered aprons and shirts can withstand the wash-and-wear cycles without fading.

Try Adding Colour with Ties

Most uniforms consist of black and white garments. And this is okay as there aren't more professional colours than black and white. But if you do want to add some colourful variety, you can use accessories to do so. Accessories are a great way to add some personality to the standard restaurant uniform. For instance, you can try using sleek ties in the colour of your logo or interior. This little trick can add a much-needed refreshment to a safe and boring outfit while still preserving the formal look of the uniform.

Some restaurants with a more laid back vibe can also use ties made from unconventional materials, like for instance leather or wood. This little tweak can make your staff appear more modern and youthful. Additionally, you will find that leather and wooden ties are much easier to keep clean than standard ties made from fabrics. But if you're an upscale establishment, silk ties can complement the posh setting best.

Transform Your Uniforms with Apron Straps

Most restaurant uniforms include aprons. And aprons are perhaps the easiest item to personalise. Use personalised aprons as part of your uniform by picking straps in your brand's unique colours or some other hues. A great way is to pick apron straps in colours that will help match the uniforms with your interior. For instance, if the walls of your restaurant are navy blue, using straps in the same colour can help balance the staff's uniform look with the way the interior is designed.

You can also use brightly coloured straps to add a fun touch to a traditional uniform if your business caters to families and children. If you want to attract a hip and modern crowd, try going for straps with a more fashionable design. For instance, by personalising your aprons with straps featuring a panther print or herringbone you can inject some funky, modern vibes into the basic uniform. In any case, feel free to use all kinds of straps you like. Straps are affordable and you can have several designs on hand. This way, any time you want to transform your uniforms, you can simply switch the apron straps with a different design and the whole uniform will get a new look.

Pin It Up

As long as your restaurant image allows it, you can also use some playful accessories such as pins to reinforce your brand. You can use these accessories to showcase your logo or tagline on shirts, aprons, vests or jackets. If you change your logo in the future, you won't have to change the whole uniform. You can simply get new pins. Pins are a very versatile form of personalisation as they can be added and removed according to your needs. As you can see, you have a variety of ways you can use to make your uniforms stand out which means you have no excuse to be boring.