Hospitality workwear set in 3 steps — from kitchen to reception
Restaurant and hotel staff break down into three clearly defined areas, each with its own outfit profile: the kitchen brigade (chef, sous-chef, apprentice) wears chef jacket, apron and cap; the service crew (waiters, sommelier, bar) wears polo or shirt plus apron; the reception team (front desk, concierge, guest service) wears shirt, cardigan or blazer. We deliver all three areas in a single order with consistent embroidery logic — same typeface for names, same logo format, same colour palette — so the uniform family reads as one unit across the venue.
Personnel areas: kitchen, service, reception, catering
Most of our hospitality orders cover 5 to 25 staff per restaurant — a typical distribution is 4 to 8 in the kitchen, 8 to 15 in service, 2 to 5 at reception. Hotels with 50+ staff order in waves per area; catering companies order seasonally (wedding season May to September, corporate-catering season November). The configurator supports free quantity distribution across all four areas in one bulk order.
Full set for small teams — order in one workflow
There is no minimum order — embroidery is possible from 1 piece and the volume ladder starts at 3 pieces per style (3 % on the garments), which suits small restaurants and boutique hotels. A 5-person order typically covers 2 chefs, 2 waiters and 1 receptionist with all outfits in one workflow. The configurator quantity grid supports free size and model distribution per person, and live pricing shows the volume tier automatically. For a 25-staff hotel, first-time outfitting lands at 50 to 75 garments (2–3 per person for rotation and laundry).
Three areas, three outfits — the hospitality workwear stack
Every area has its own functional and aesthetic requirements — material hygiene, sweat management, representative look, logo visibility. Our stack maps each area to an optimal model combination.
Area 1 — kitchen (chef jacket + apron + cap)
The kitchen brigade wears the classic three-piece set: chef jacket with high-buttoned collar (Karlowsky premium) for the front-of-house pass, apron in the Karlowsky Marina or Trend line for cross protection, plus a cap (classic chef's hat for fine-dining kitchens or a Beechfield cap for bistro kitchens). Chef jacket fabric: 65 % polyester / 35 % cotton for industrial wash at 90 °C without shrinkage. Embroidery with first name on the chest (typically 70 mm tall in white yarn on white cloth for the premium effect) plus restaurant logo on the sleeve. For more on apron lines and chef-jacket cuts see the workwear printing hub.
Area 2 — service (polo + apron + women's shirt)
The service crew needs a polished outfit wearable all day. Standard recommendation: a Russell polo in a restaurant colour (typically navy, black or burgundy), combined with a long Karlowsky bistro apron in the same colour family or in contrast. Women's service crews often order a tailored women's polo or a service shirt in a women's cut (e.g. by Kustom Kit) instead of the unisex polo. Embroidery: first name plus restaurant logo on the left chest. Polo fabric: 100 % polyester (performance) or 65/35 polycotton (comfort) — depending on the service style. A broad polo selection with brand filter and women's-cut option is available in the polo shirt printing hub.
Area 3 — reception / hotellerie (polo + shirt + cardigan)
The reception team wears the venue's representative outfit. Standard set: a business shirt by Kustom Kit in a hotel colour (white for classic hospitality, light grey or light blue for boutique hotels), women's variant in a tailored women's cut. For transitional and cool periods a discreet cardigan or knit pullover rounds out the outfit. Embroidery: just the hotel logo on the left chest (first name often omitted because staff wear a name badge).
Brand recommendations per area
Five brands cover all three areas completely and carry documented specifications for hospitality use.
Karlowsky chef jackets (premium brand for professional kitchens)
Karlowsky Fashion is the German premium brand for professional hospitality workwear — chef jackets since the 1980s, plus aprons, caps and service apparel. The range covers chef jackets in 14 colours and 4 cuts (Classic with high collar, Modern with half-open collar, women's tailored, short-sleeve for summer kitchens). Fabric: 65 % polyester / 35 % cotton, industrial wash at 90 °C, HACCP-compliant under EC 852/2004. Sizes XS to 5XL, women's cut separate. Embroidery: left chest 8 × 8 cm, sleeve logo 4 × 4 cm. Pricing: garment as shown on the product page, embroidery by stitch area and quantity per the embroidery price table (net).
Karlowsky aprons (Marina, Trend, Lehrgang)
Karlowsky has three apron lines: Marina (classic bistro apron 100 × 80 cm in 18 colours, with chest pocket), Trend (modern bib apron with straps 90 × 60 cm) and Lehrgang (shorter half-apron for service without chest cover). Finishing: transfer print for marketing messages (e.g. "Marco — Sommelier" on the chest pocket) or embroidery for discreet logo placement. Fabric: 65 % polyester / 35 % cotton, industrial wash at 60 °C. Pricing: garment as shown on the product page, embroidery per the embroidery price table (net), transfer print on request.
Russell polos for service crew
Russell Athletic is the sports brand with a polo line well suited to restaurant service crews. The Russell Classic Polo is available in unisex and women's cut, 12 colours, sizes XS to 4XL. Fabric: 100 % polyester (performance) or 65/35 polycotton (comfort). Embroidery: left chest 7 × 7 cm. Pricing: garment as shown on the product page, embroidery by stitch area and quantity per the embroidery price table (net). Typical use case: bistro and restaurant service crews, bar staff, catering service.
Beechfield caps for quick-service restaurants and bakeries
Beechfield is a UK cap brand with a wide range of hospitality caps. The Beechfield Original Heavy 6-Panel is the classic bistro cap, the B600 5-Panel the quick-service cap (pizza, burger, bakery), the B610 Snapback the modern hipster variant. Embroidery or direct print on the front panel, 7 × 5 cm maximum. Fabric: 100 % cotton (Original) or cool-mesh polyester (for hot kitchens and quick-service). Pricing: garment as shown on the product page, embroidery by stitch area and quantity per the embroidery price table (net).
Kustom Kit business shirts for hotel reception
Kustom Kit is the British specialist for business shirts and polos in team outfitting — our standard for hotel reception and upscale gastronomy. Men's and women's variants are available. Finishing: embroidery (typically chest 7 × 7 cm) — printing on shirt fabric not recommended. Use case: hotel reception, concierge, upscale restaurant sommelier crew.
Embroidery vs. printing — what works for hospitality?
The choice of finishing method drives durability, premium feel and industrial-laundry compatibility. Rule of thumb: embroidery for clothing the staff wear directly; transfer print for aprons with marketing messages.
Embroidery for chef jackets, polo, cap (premium effect)
Embroidery is the premium finishing for chef jackets, service polos and caps. Mechanics: multi-head embroidery machine with up to 16 yarn colours, 1,000 stitches per square centimetre. Durability: 80+ washes at 60 °C; for Karlowsky's range even at 95 °C industrial wash without colour loss. Logo preparation: vector file in AI, EPS or SVG, minimum height 25 mm. Premium effect: white embroidery on white chef-jacket cloth is the top-of-line standard for starred restaurants. Digitising costs €27.50–88 net per motif and size depending on stitch area and is charged on every order; the unit price per position depends on stitch area and quantity (embroidery price table, net).
Transfer print for aprons (marketing messages)
Transfer print is the right choice for aprons with longer marketing messages — for example "Marco — Sommelier" on the chest pocket or "Ask me about our wines" on the bib. Mechanics: flex-film cut and heat-pressed onto the apron. Advantages: multi-colour, fast, economical for small runs. Durability: 30+ washes at 40 °C — matches the typical service-apron wash rotation. Price per print position on request.
Logo position per garment
Standard logo positions per garment are clearly defined: chef jacket left chest (name embroidery 7 × 5 cm), chef jacket left sleeve (logo embroidery 4 × 4 cm), service polo left chest (name plus logo embroidery 7 × 7 cm), apron chest pocket (transfer-print name 8 × 4 cm) or apron bib (marketing message 15 × 8 cm), cap front panel (logo embroidery 7 × 5 cm), reception shirt left chest (logo embroidery 6 × 4 cm). The configurator shows the standard positions as defaults and allows custom positioning on request.
Ordering workflow for restaurant and hotel staff
The workflow is built around the typical hospitality rhythm: first-time outfitting at restaurant opening or hotel new-build, seasonal rotation expansion in spring and autumn, continuous new-hire re-orders during the year.
Volume staircase from 3 pieces
The staircase starts at 3 pieces and runs up to 500+ pieces. Stored as a live table in the configurator:
| Quantity | Discount tier (on garments) |
|---|---|
| from 3 pcs | T1 (3 %) |
| from 20 pcs | T2 (10 %) |
| from 50 pcs | T3 (15 %) |
| from 100 pcs | T4 (25 %) |
| from 200 pcs | T5 (30 %) |
| from 500 pcs | T6 (32 %) |
The discount applies to the garments per style (all sizes and colours together); embroidery, printing and digitising are excluded.
Exact prices per model, quantity and embroidery effort are shown by the volume-discount calculator.
Personalisation — names plus role plus logo in one bulk order
The configurator supports multi-personalisation in one bulk order. Per person you enter: first name (typical chest embroidery), role or position (typical "Sommelier" or "Chef de Cuisine" under the name) and size. The restaurant or hotel logo is constant across all staff so it changes only once per order. Personalisation is validated in the configurator (special characters caught, character count checked). A 12-staff order typically has 12 unique first names, 4 unique roles and one consistent logo — all in one order, one delivery.
Re-order for new hires (template storage)
Your ordered design with logo, placement and finishing stays saved in your customer account under “Meine Designs”. For a new hire, use “Nachbestellen” (reorder) to load the design back into the configurator, adjust the first name if needed and choose colour, sizes and quantity again. Re-orders use the volume ladder like any order, based on the re-order quantity (from 3 pieces 3 % on garments); digitising is charged as on every order. This logic is especially valuable for hotel chains with continuous hire waves and for catering companies with seasonal staff.
Trust and compliance
Restaurant owners and hotel directors check two central compliance aspects before any workwear procurement: freedom from harmful substances per OEKO-TEX (direct skin contact and sweat absorption) and HACCP compliance under EC 852/2004 for food-contact apparel in the kitchen.
OEKO-TEX Standard 100
OEKO-TEX Standard 100 stands for harmful-substance testing against more than 100 criteria. Among the recommended brands, Russell carries OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification; its certificate numbers are supplied as a PDF (material pass) on request — relevant for HACCP audits and restaurant hygiene inspections.
Karlowsky HACCP-compliant materials
Karlowsky chef jackets and aprons are HACCP-compliant under EC regulation 852/2004 (food hygiene). That means: the material releases no micro-fibres, no buttons and no foreign substances into food; buttons are metal (detector-recognisable) and firmly sewn; the material is industrial-washable at 90 °C without damage. HACCP compliance is confirmed on request via a material-pass document.
Related topics
- Russell polos for service crews
- Beechfield caps for hospitality staff
- Kustom Kit business shirts — brand overview
- Embroidery for chef jackets and polos
- Transfer print for apron marketing
- Workwear printing hub
- Polo shirt printing and embroidery
- Volume-discount calculator
- Hospitality main page
- Bulk order enquiry
