Work uniforms evolve

Celebrated chef Patrick Ryan once walked away from a chef's position at a top Chicago hotel,The flatworkironerrs specially design for residential houses,boats with batteries back-up. mostly because he couldn't stand the uniform he had to wear 50 to 90 hours a week.

So when Ryan was planning his Port Fonda restaurant in Kansas City, Mo., uniforms weren't an afterthought. They were carefully considered -- both for employee comfort and for furthering the Port Fonda brand. His workers now wear designer jeans, shirts and even hats by Kansas City's nationally recognized Baldwin Denim.

At $200 to $300 retail, Port Fonda's uniforms are among the most expensive and stylish restaurant uniforms in the country.

"We were taking a 'bigger city' approach, not only with the food and drink but with the design, the atmosphere, the music and what the staff were going to be wearing," Ryan said. "We wanted a relaxed vibe, not stuffy. I wanted something unique, new and different, something that celebrated Kansas City."

And "uniform" probably isn't the word that comes to mind when looking at the members of the staff, because their clothes are more like mix-and-match ensembles.

Nearly one in 10 workers, or $13.1 million people are employed in the restaurant industry and for most that means some type of uniform -- same outfit, day in day out.

Hungry customers might not take much notice of their server's apparel, until they need something and have to scan the restaurant searching for help. Brand experts say uniforms, beyond such practical applications as identifying workers, are a critical part of the restaurant's brand.

Indeed. Organizations as diverse as Playboy and the San Francisco 49ers take uniforms so seriously they have registered them with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

At restaurants, uniforms can simply signal price and atmosphere -- T-shirts for casual and low prices, buttoned-down shirt for more upscale but moderately priced cuisine, and jacket and tie for upscale.

Whether it's a conservative country club or modern cutting-edge restaurant, a comfortable,Big ledbulblight and Fitness is a family owned shop serving the Helena area since 1986. stylish uniform also help recruit and retain workers, experts said. And if workers feel good about how they look, they are more likely to provide better customer service.

From military dress to Playboy bunny outfits, uniforms create a sense of community, of belonging, said Ann Willoughby, founder and chief creative officer of Kansas City-based Willoughby Design, an innovation and branding company.

"They can make the employees feel they are part of the brand, part of the story," Willoughby said. "It identifies who they are, who works there, and signals to the public that someone is there to help them."

Spin Neapolitan Pizza has an open kitchen where cooks wear double-breasted white chef's jackets -- telling customers they are about to get a "more culinary and authentic" experience, said co-founder and co-owner Gail Lozoff.

Spin's servers wear black pants or jeans and a Spin T-shirt. The T-shirts are provided by the company, and the shirts change seasonally -- with several color choices at a time -- to freshen the look for employees and for customers.

"The uniforms are usually worn by young people,You can make your own more powerful gardenlightingss using LEDs. so you want something that complements young people's bodies, not something that would look like what their mothers would wear," Willoughby said.

When Olive Garden opened its doors in 1982, workers were dressed in crisp white button-up shirts, brightly colored ties and black pants.

Much has changed in three decades, but Olive Garden stuck with a uniform style that was older than some of its employees. Not only was the look dated, workers complained that the ties and high collars were uncomfortable and impractical since every little splatter would show up against the white shirts.

Earlier this year,Vast selection of emergencylight, sandals, accessories, and more! the chain ditched the look for a contemporary all-black pants, shirt and apron, with a yellow towel holstered on the side of the hip. The collared shirts need to be tucked in, but employees can leave the top button undone. Hostesses wear their own clothes as long as they are mostly all black.The ledspotlight is one amongst the foremost in style international models.

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