How Can Restaurant Uniforms Complement Your Business

The restaurant business is one of the most successful and profitable trades in the country. Every year thousands of young people train to become the next chefs for some of the most prestigious venues around the nation and people flock to restaurants to get a taste of the food we have to offer. There is no question that owning an establishment like this is one of the most rewarding and enjoyable jobs on offer but it does come with some challenges. One of the most important of these is, as you might expect, maintaining an outstanding reputation and service.

 

There is no question that a lot of different factors come into how well your service is received. Take the food for example. Nothing will speak louder for the quality of your establishment than the food. After all, this is what your guests have come for and you need to provide them with a meal that they will not forget in a hurry. After that, it is all about complementing this experience as best you can to give them an overall experience that they will enjoy.

 

To do this you need to ensure that your staff are on board and have all of the equipment and training they need to do this job effectively. So, what do you need to supply your staff with to ensure that they can represent you and your establishment's food as best they can? Keep reading this blog to find out more about this and much much more!

Front-of-house training

The art of effective front-of-house management has been developed and expanded for many years and nowadays there is a fairly unanimous blueprint for how things should be done. The fact is that if you want to own a well-reviewed and recommended establishment then you will need your staff to know these rules. After all, your guests will expect a certain level of service and for some customers, anything short of this will result in complaints and this is the last thing you need on a busy service night. The question is though, how do you teach your front-of-house staff these rules?

 

The answer is, of course, training. As you will find out after reading this blog there are many different types of training when it comes to restaurants but front-of-house lessons are the first. So, what exactly does this entail? Essentially, this kind of training is all around the art of hosting and how to make your guests feel as comfortable as possible. Your staff will learn the correct way to greet people as well as the best way to introduce a party to their table and tell them the running order for the evening. So, there is no doubt that this process is vital to learn.

Menu training

There is a very real chance that your menu will be filled with a wide variety of items. From starting courses to main courses and even puddings and cheese boards. All of these dishes will most likely have a story behind them and an experience which your chefs are trying to get across. While the food will be able to speak for itself the guests will not know this before they try it. Therefore, they should be able to have this message conveyed to them from the front-of-house staff with the same passion and energy as the chefs.

 

The best way to ensure this is to give your front-of-house staff a considerable amount of menu training. We should mention that this kind of training will often take a great deal of time and you should leave a day aside when you get a new menu to train all of your staff at the same time. Of course, this will involve tasting every dish which your staff can eat (allergies allowing) they should at least try so they can get an idea of the food. You should have your head chef talk through each dish as they are sampling it and explain both how it is made and where the idea came from.

Wine training

There are many drinks that are known to compliment a meal well but no drink is more famous for this than wine. In fact, wine has been the go-to side element to a luxury meal for thousands of years as both the Ancient Greeks and Romans made their own wine to accompany their dinner parties. Of course, nowadays there is a huge variety of wines from reds and whites white through to sparkling wines and rose՛s. So, how can you get your staff to increase their knowledge of the wines that you have available and which dishes they should be paired with?

 

Wine training is, of course, the obvious answer and this will help your staff gain the knowledge they need to advise your guests correctly. You should arrange a day when your staff have a small taster of each wine that you serve and an explanation of both the tasting notes and where the wine comes from. Your kitchen team should then explain which dishes they would best recommend them for so your guests can experience the best possible meal. This kind of training will certainly elevate your establishment to the next level and help you to create the kind of atmosphere which you are doubtless looking for.

Cocktail training

Cocktails have become increasingly popular in recent years and they are now a staple in most restaurants around the country. This cocktail craze first began in the early 20th century and society was beginning to break the moulds of conformity and create new and exciting alternatives. One of these alternatives was, of course, the cocktail. These experimental alcoholic drinks gave the public something new to enjoy and now they are a favourite with many people. The popularity of modern cocktails means that many people ask for them in modern restaurants and therefore your staff must know how to make the most popular of these.

 

Clearly, then, you should train all of your front-of-house staff to have basic knowledge of the most common cocktails. This, of course, does not just mean an understanding of them but they should also be able to make one upon request. After all, this kind of service will hugely impress your guests and make their overall experience far more enjoyable. For some of the more passionate staff, you may want to take this training a step further and teach them some of the more advanced cocktails. This way you may even want to add cocktails to the menu.

Uniforms

Uniforms are one of the essential items when it comes to restaurants as they will be the first thing that many of your guests will see. First impressions go a long way in business as we’re sure you know and getting this right could do a lot for your customer retention and satisfaction. The trick is to style your uniforms in a modern and popular way but to also match the feel of your building and establishment. This way you will create synergy and this can make the restaurant feel extremely well-managed. So, what are the uniforms that you should consider?

 

Of course, the first thing which you will need to get right is the front-of-house uniform. Often these follow a fairly neutral look and are designed to help the waiters and waitresses blend in. This means that your guests can focus on the experience and the food. You must also hold particular attention to the chef's whites. After all, this is not just about style but also safety. A chef's whites will protect them from heat and other sources of danger in the kitchen. So, you should hold particular importance to both of the areas.

 

If you need any advice on professional chef aprons or chef whites then we can certainly help you. We have many years of experience in the industry and love to advise and recommend people with the best possible options. We have many experienced staff on the team so make sure you pick up the phone today as we would love to hear from you!