PPB July 2021

feel good in what they are putting on every day,” Salz says. “When a garment is worn a lot, it should be something that people want to wear. We like to offer choice in uniform programs so that employees can alter their look depending on how they feel. A lot of our customs are adapting to provide choice to their frontline folks.” In any eatery, uniforms serve three core purposes: to immediately distinguish employees from patrons, so patrons know who to approach with questions and concerns; to provide employees with suitable attire to perform their assigned responsibilities while meeting health and safety requirements; and to use as an additional way to carry forward the restaurant’s brand message and culture. Depending on the type of establishment, the items selected may look a little different. In fine dining and catering halls, uniforms may consist of a button-up shirt, slacks and a tie, while in casual restaurants, diners and pubs, it may consist of dark jeans, a branded tee and an apron. For experiential eateries designed to entertain targeted clientele, uniforms can vary from the Middle-Ages style peasant garb worn by waitstaff, known as “wenches” and “serfs,” at Irving, Texas- based franchise Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament, to the slew of chain sports bars and grills with an all-female, scantily clad waitstaff, like Hooters, Twin Peaks and Tilted Kilt, where short skirts or shorts and low-cut, cropped tops is the assigned wear. In establishments such as the latter, the uniforms serve as costumes and contribute both to patrons’ experience and the reason why many of them come back. Salz says that aside from adding personality to brands, uniforms can play a part in drawing and keeping employees as well. “Uniforms are not just a benefit to hourlies but can be part of the talent attraction and retention strategy,” she says. “If what the employer is providing looks uncomfortable, old-fashioned or is too logo-forward, there are some potential employees who say, ‘no thanks.’ We also tell our restaurant customers that when someone comes into your establishment, they already know where they are, so tell them something different about the brand. Don’t just slap logos on everything.” An example of uniforms done right, and which garnered national media attention for doing so, are the new white, black and royal blue uniforms for the employees of Columbus, Ohio-based franchise White Castle. Covered in last month’s issue of PPB, White Castle recently partnered with fashion designer Telfar Clemens, known for his work on inclusivity, to provide on-trend wear that’s also functional, and added durags to its available accessories. A highly-requested item by employees, it’s the first time a fast-food chain has ever offered durags as part of the employee uniform. (And to balance it out, there are also many uniforms that weren’t done right, such as Atlanta, Georgia-based franchise Hot Dog On A Stick, whose employees’ less than flattering blue-, yellow-, white- and red-striped shirt and bowl-like hats are described in a Reddit thread as one of the “worst work uniforms.”) Also important in the restaurant space, Salz says that when designing uniforms, it’s important to keep in mind that underneath the attire are people, and “no one wants to be a walking billboard.” “People should be treated like human beings and given gear that even the marketing team would want to wear if they were in that role. No one wants to promote that latest burger or buy-one-get- one deal on their shirts.” | JULY 2021 | 13 INNOVATE