#server aprons

Staff retention is a key factor for any business, and the hospitality industry is no different. The restaurant industry has had to face the challenge of staff retention head-on in recent years, with many restaurants reporting that they have difficulty keeping their employees on board. With this in mind, it is important to explore how you can make sure your staff stay with.

Provide a competitive salary - A competitive salary is a good way to entice people to work with you. It will help them feel valued and more satisfied in their position which will then have the side effect of improving retention rates as staff aren't going anywhere! More benefits mean that more people will be willing to work with you. The more competitive your salary, the better quality of candidates you will attract, and this is beneficial for staff retention in general as they are going to feel valued! Consider implementing a bonus scheme or commission system if possible so that employees can earn even more money when they do well. This way people know there are options to further their careers and their incomes. From the chef in his chef coat or kitchen shirts, to the servers and bussers in their server aprons, everyone wants to feel appreciated, and also earn an additional income.

- Offer flexible work hours - Flexible working hours is also a great way to ensure staff retention. Running a restaurant is no easy feat and it's likely that you will be putting in long hours during the busy periods of your business, but this can leave things feeling like an all-consuming job for some! Offering flexible hours will allow people to have more control over how they spend their time outside.

- Give employees the opportunity to grow their skills and advance in the company - Giving staff the required training to progress is a good way to ensure that they feel supported and are confident in their achievements. Giving them the opportunity for advancement will provide staff with an incentive to stay, such as providing performance-based pay or higher positions when promotion becomes available.

Tips earned from restaurant or hotel customers is a way that staff can earn an additional income for themselves. Many people who work in the hospitality and food service industry depend on this extra income to survive.

If you are a server, dressed up in your elegant server aprons in a restaurant and want to earn more tips, then these simple strategies will help. When it comes to customer service, the most important thing is your attitude. Customers can sense when you're being fake or just going through the motions with them. So be sure to stay positive and genuinely care about their experience! Your attitude could be the difference between getting a good tip or not.

Here are some tips for earning more tips:

- Don't forget to greet customers - this sets the tone for how they will feel during their entire visit.

- Be attentive but not intrusive - keep an eye on your tables without making it obvious.

- Ask if there is anything else they need before walking away from a customer's table.

- Encourage feedback with a survey or comment card.

- Share your knowledge when they ask for recommendations.

- Let them know about upcoming specials and deals just before it's too late to take advantage of them (Loyalty points!).

- Smile!

- Know regular customers by name, and remember their preferences, so that you make them feel special.

- The uniform you wear, including the waist apron, should be clean and professional, with no wrinkles or stains

Using these methods will help you to earn more tips as a server, but most of all it is the way that you treat your customer that will make the difference. Your attitude and personality as a server, a face representing the restaurant, will define whether the customer keeps coming back to you or goes to a competitor as well.

For servers working in a restaurant, café or hotel, the tip that they get is considered an extra income which they expect and need to survive. Although many establishments provide uniforms for staff such as server aprons, shirts, pants, bistro aprons and such, and the staff have no expenses in that regard or for food and drink during work times, the people who work in these jobs need the extra money they earn from tips, as this is their livelihood, and they work many hours a day for a set salary.

Establishments have different rules regarding tipping. While some allow specific staff members to be tipped after a service, others prefer to pool tips, where a part or total of the monies received as tips are collected and redistributed among all the staff. Although this is meant as a way of being fair to everyone, since some staff members do not liaise directly with customers in order to receive tips, staff members may not consent to it, since they feel that they have worked hard that night, while others have slacked but are still getting a portion of the tips that were earned through others’ hard work.

Employees who generally receive tips are:

Bussers.

Counter staff.

Servers.

Waiters.

Bartenders.

A policy for tip pooling should be designed by the employees themselves, so that there will not be any arguments or problems on a later date for the employer, and there will be a set procedure on how it is done. In general, the pooled tips are equally distributed among the staff members in order create fairness, unlike tip sharing where everyone gets a certain percentage of the tips.

A Chef’s uniform has always been and will always be a symbol of professionalism, experience and the Chef’s expertise, giving the chef and the rest of his kitchen team the highest status available and creating trust and confidence in the eyes of the customer. Chef uniforms, which are usually white in color, convey a clean and hygienic kitchen.

There are many aspects to a uniform, such as:

Chef Hat (or Toque).

Chef Coat.

Pants.

Shoes.

Chef Apron.

Out of these the Chef apron is a very important part of the overall uniform as it provides additional protection to the wearer from any and all of the hazards that are present in a fast-paced busy kitchen.

It is not only a Chef or kitchen staff that need to wear aprons to protect themselves from spills and splashes, but front of house staff as well, and there are many different types of aprons to suit the different types of work involved.

Chef Apron – This apron usually covers the wearer from the upper body up to the knees, and are generally known as Bib Aprons because of this coverage that they provide. They consist of an adjustable neck loop and waist ties, as well as a waistband that makes it more comfortable to wear, and provides a tight fit with great moveability and functionality. These Bib Aprons provide chefs and other kitchen staff, absolute protection over their traditional uniform, and act as a double layer of protection for them from heat, fire and even sharp utensils.

Server Aprons – These are usually worn by servers and waiters, and are of a shorter length. They usually only cover the lower part of the body, and consist of wide waistbands and ties around the waist. They are made to fit perfectly, while not restricting the wearers movements, and are made of 100% cotton breathable fabrics, which can be made in many different colors, although popular colors tend to be black, blue and white. They come with one or multiple pockets which help the servers to carry essential items to make their job easier and their service more efficient.

Waist Aprons – Waist Aprons are very much similar to Server Aprons, and are worn by Head Waiters, bussers and servers. These too come as shorter length aprons and provide an elegant and stylish look for all front of house staff. This type of apron also covers only the lower body.

Bistro Aprons – Bistro Aprons also provide protection for the lower body, and most specifically for the trousers, from spills and splashes, as they are much longer than other aprons providing coverage up to a little above the ankles of the wearer.

Cobbler Aprons – These aprons are best used for bakeries as they offer both front and back coverage with ties on the two sides, where you can adjust the looseness of the apron, making it either snug and fit or loose and comfortable. They only cover the upper torso and are great at keeping shirts and coats clean and neat without any stains.

While aprons are not officially a part of the kitchen uniform, they are certainly an important add-on. So why is wearing an apron so important?

Maintains food hygiene – Maintaining food hygiene these days is not only important in retaining your customers, but in certain areas is a legal requirement that simply cannot be ignored. While uniforms certainly provide enough protection from contaminating food during preparation and serving, an apron provides an added protection. This is why many kitchen staff wear a Chef apron while cooking, over their usual uniform.

Protects the uniform – A chef or even a front of house staff will need to meet and talk to customers at times, and this would not be a good idea if they are wearing a dirtied up or stained uniform. The Chef Apron and Server Apron provides protection for the white or other colored uniform that they are wearing in order to keep it looking clean and tidy, and stain free.

Protects the wearer – An apron provides an additional layer of protection from fire, heat and sharp utensils or tools, and protects the wearer from accidents that could happen with such things.

Aprons are an integral part of a restaurant kitchen staff and serving staff uniform, because they give added protection for the wearer from the hazards of working in a busy environment.

What kind of aprons would you need to add to your restaurant or café?

Chef Aprons – These aprons cover the wearer and provide protection for them from the upper body all the way down to their knees, and are also known as Bib Aprons. They usually come with an adjustable neck loop and ties around the waist, and includes a thick waistband for greater comfort. They are usually made of 100% cotton which is thick in order to provide the best protection.

Waist Aprons – Waist Aprons can be worn by both back of house and front of house staff, and cover the lower part of the body. They are usually made long, and fit the wearer perfectly so that no part of the apron sticks out causing a hazard.

Server Aprons – These aprons can be either short or long and are specifically for front of house staff, such as waiters and servers. While a head waiter or waitress may wear a long apron, other staff may be given shorter ones. Whatever the length, they still provide protection for the wearer from spills.

Bistro Aprons – Bistro Aprons are one of the more popular types of aprons in the hospitality industry, and are made of a polyester-cotton blend fabric. They are very stylish and elegant and ideal for front of house staff such as servers and waiters.