Service with a style: Local restaurants get fashionable
DEVELOPING A restaurant concept is no easy task. From menu and location to interiors and staff, everything is expected to fall seamlessly into place — and it’s clearly not just about the food. In fact, sometimes food becomes a forgotten understudy to the design, style, and overall vibe of a dining establishment.
So what about fashion? What role does it play in the restaurant biz? Savvy restaurateurs have to keep their eye on style, especially when it comes to their staff. Some use the services of designers to create trendy getups for their employees. Great Bay, RumBa, Sushi-Teq, and newcomer Lobby all enlisted the help of local fashion stylist and Habitboutique owner Leila Moore to create signature uniforms for their staffs. RumBa had red-and-black cocktail dresses custom-made for their female servers, while Great Bay opted for navy wrap tunics with black leggings. The Lobby ladies were given shimmery, silver V-neck tops; Sushi-Teq played it safe and simple and opted for all-white attire (definitely not the most challenging gig for Moore).
For other locales, style is in the smaller details — like sneakers. Via Matta’s staffers wear footwear from Puma, while employees at Cafeteria sport Converse sneaks. Cafeteria’s GM Eric Santiago also pieced together blue fitted dress shirts and Guess jeans to accompany the sneakers that are reminiscent of a comfortable high-school lunchroom — the overall theme of the casual eatery.
If you’re married to a local fashionista, piecing together a chic look for your waitstaff is simple. Jon Cronin, owner of about-to-open adjoining Financial District venues
Central 37 and Market, has left the style aspect of his business to his wife, Nicole, who happens to know a thing or two about fashion — she owns Ku De Ta, a trendy boutique in South Boston. Cronin’s servers will be asked to dress in black, but their tops will vary, and Nicole plans to adorn the female staff with chic accessories from her store. On the other hand, the South End’s Beehive and Pho Republique have a completely different approach when it comes to employee attire. Both venues strive to promote self-expression — a mantra that translates into a lenient dress code for staffers. Employees are encouraged to wear their own clothing in which they feel comfortable. “We purposely set out to create an environment of individuality with our staff,” says Jack Bardy, co-owner of Beehive and owner of Pho Republique. “I find allowing the staff to express themselves leads to a happier and more productive work environment.”
Leave a Comment
(required)
(optional)
(required)
Most popular: