Dressing your team in the house image makes a café, restaurant, or hotel look bigger and more polished. But custom uniforms for restaurants have a daily enemy: the washing machine, often on a hot cycle. Picking the wrong piece or technique means watching the logo fade within a month. In this guide, we'll show you, honestly, which piece to wear for each role, which personalization holds up to washing, and how many uniforms to order. At the end, we'll explain how we at Matter Studio help you get it right the first time.
Which piece to wear for each role
Not every team member needs the same piece. The rule is simple: whoever's in front of customers wears the house image, whoever's in the kitchen needs practicality. In our collection for restaurants and hotels you'll find the most requested pieces already gathered together.
Counter and dining room
In view of customers, needs to look the part.
Polo or T-shirtKitchen
Protects clothing and cleans easily.
ApronCold weather or patio
An extra layer with the brand on it.
Sweatshirt or HoodieSun and outdoors
Take-out, food trucks, events.
CapFor everyday wear, a custom polo gives off a more formal image, and a t-shirt is more casual and budget-friendly. On cold days, a sweatshirt with your logo keeps the team looking sharp. And for take-out, patios, or events, a cap or a bag house's own image add-on won't cost much.
Embroidery or DTF on a uniform washed every day?
At Matter Studio we work with two techniques, and both work great for restaurant uniforms: embroidery and DTF printing. The embroidery is made of thread stitched into the fabric, with texture, and holds up to heavy washing without peeling. Our DTF printing is high-quality, with true-to-life colors and great durability for daily use, ideal for colorful, detailed logos. The choice comes down to the design, not quality: both last.
- Heavy washing: excellent, it's thread and handles hot, frequent washes
- Look: premium, with texture and dimension
- Ideal for: polos, caps, aprons, chest logo
- Colors and fine detail: up to 6 solid colors
- Heavy washing: very good, high-quality and long-lasting print
- Look: vivid colors true to the artwork
- Ideal for: t-shirts, illustrations, lots of colors and detail
- Colors and fine detail: no limits, any color and gradient
Our recommendation: choose embroidery when you want a premium finish with texture, for simple logos like a name or symbol. Choose DTF when the design is colorful, illustrated or has lots of detail, and you want vivid colors with great durability. Both hold up to the daily grind of the restaurant business. Want to dig deeper into each one? We explain it all in the guide DTF vs Embroidery: which technique is best.
How many uniforms should you order per person?
One worn, one in the wash, and one spare. This way the team never runs out of a clean uniform on the busiest days.
Do the math by role and by size. A coffee shop with 4 people behind the counter, with 3 polos each, comes to 12 polos, and it's worth adding 1 or 2 extra for new hires. You don't need to buy everything at once, but ordering together usually works out cheaper per piece.
How to make uniforms last longer
- Washing inside out protects the personalization from rubbing against other clothes
- Lukewarm water (30 to 40 °C) is enough for everyday wear; avoid very hot cycles on the printed area
- Air drying whenever possible, since harsh dryer heat wears down a print the fastest
- Not ironing directly over the logo (iron it inside out or around it)
- Choosing a good base fabric weight: better fabric holds up to more washes without losing its shape
How much do custom uniforms for restaurants cost?
The price depends on three things: the item (a basic t-shirt doesn't cost the same as a premium polo or a hoodie), the technique (embroidery has an initial setup cost that gets spread across the pieces), and the quantity (the more pieces, the lower the price per unit). At Matter Studio we always give you a quote with the real price and turnaround time, no surprises. All you need to do is tell us the item, the number of people, and send us your logo. If you have questions about the file, check out our guide on how to prepare artwork for custom clothing.
Can I order just a few uniforms, or try just one?
Yes. Unlike many suppliers who only work with large quantities, at Matter you can customize starting at 1 unit. It's the perfect way to order a sample: you order one polo with your logo, see the quality and feel it in person, and only then outfit the whole team. No minimums and no commitment.
How we help you at Matter Studio
We make uniforms for cafés, restaurants, and hotels every day, so we know what holds up to real-world use. We help you choose the right item and technique for each role, take care of the personalization (embroidery or high-quality DTF printing), and deliver it ready to wear. You can customize everything online in our restaurant and hotel uniforms collectionor talk to us for a quote tailored to your team.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the best technique for restaurant uniforms?
Both embroidery and DTF printing work really well. Embroidery gives a premium finish with texture and holds up to heavy washing; our DTF is high quality, with vivid colors and great durability. The choice depends on the design.
What's the best piece for the front-of-house team?
A polo or t-shirt with the logo embroidered or printed. The polo gives a more formal look, the t-shirt is more casual and budget-friendly.
How many uniforms should I order per person?
Between 2 and 3 per employee, one worn, one being washed, and one spare, so you never run out of clean uniforms on busier days.
Can I order just one piece to try it out?
Yes. We customize starting at 1 unit, with no minimum quantity, so you can check the quality before outfitting the whole team.
How do I make uniforms last longer?
Wash inside out, use warm water, air dry, and don't iron over the logo.
Want to dress your team in your brand?
Tell us the piece and the logo, and we'll give you a real quote and timeline. Or try it out now with a sample.
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