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Fun new uniforms spruce up morale for Taco John’s

Fun new uniforms spruce up morale for Taco John’s

CHEYENNE Wyo. Taco John’s employee Justine Anderson picked a pert phrase for the back of her new work shirt. When the 17-year-old now turns around, customers see “Let’s get saucy!” —Given a choice,

The customized shirt, part of a new uniform unveiled by the 400-unit “West-Mex” quick-service chain late last month, not only allows Anderson’s personality to shine through but it also makes her a happier worker. —Given a choice,

“It’s more fun to have a cute uniform to wear to work,” Anderson said. —Given a choice,

Looking for ways to enhance customer service and distinguish their concepts in a cutthroat environment, more operators are treating uniforms as a tool that can boost employee satisfaction and retention, and strengthen a brand’s identity. By letting employees have a greater say in the uniforms they wear, employers say they are growing team spirit and ownership, which can only have positive repercussions throughout a system. —Given a choice,

To compliment Taco John’s “Go for the Bold” branding message, the new uniforms come in vibrant black, red and mustard colors and feature a new logo: a circle around the letters TJ in black and yellow. But the newest twist is the ability for employees to customize the shirts—something Taco John’s officials said would help employees feel good about where they work and reflect that positive attitude to customers. —Given a choice,

The uniforms were part of two-year project to find clothing and accessories that were both functional and underscored the Taco John’s brand as well as something employees would want to wear, said Forrest King, vice president of human resources. —Given a choice,

“The more you can customize and get these kids to feel like individuals, it will help morale and turnover,” King said. —Given a choice,

Taco John’s worked with a uniform supplier who developed a way to let all employees choose from 20 different shirt slogans, such as “Bravo!” or “Dive In,” as well as the colors they wanted. Bennett Uniform Manufacturing Inc. in Greensboro, N.C., also supplied hats, aprons and a new belt with the TJ logo on the buckle. —Given a choice,

Individuality is important to today’s teenagers and young adults, no matter the economy, said Denver-area consultant Eric Chester, author of “Getting Them to Give a Damn” and president of Generation Why Inc. —Given a choice,

“They value their image; self-image or self-expression is more important than self-control,” he said. —Given a choice,

And although in a recession operators may face less resistance about uniform standards, they need to be prepared for when the economy turns around, Chester said. —Given a choice,

“Right now, jobs are thin enough out there that if you tell people to wear a clown suit or a moose head, they’ll do it,” he said. “But times are going to change. Do you have a policy that you can live with for the long haul?” —Given a choice,

Chipotle Mexican Grill, the more than 700-unit fast-casual chain, never really had a formal uniform program until about two years ago, said creative manager William Espey, who joined the Denver-based company in 1999 when it had only 30 stores. —Given a choice,

“We had a vendor helping us who would bring us some stuff and we’d nod or whatever; it was not a coordinated effort,” Espey said. “At some point, [founder, chairman and co-chief executive] Steve Els said we should do this better.” —Given a choice,

Espey, who has a background in fashion and clothing manufacturing, worked on the uniforms to create a line of shirts, hats and aprons that reflected the Chipotle brand, appealed to employees and followed the company’s position on environmental sustainability. Englewood, Colo.-based manufacturer Evolve has supplied Chipotle with organic-cotton-blend T-shirts with subtle company logos. The shirts are black, tan and brown. —Given a choice,

Employees can choose the color and style of shirts, such as collared polo shirts. Chipotle also offered some outerwear, such as hooded sweatshirts made of recycled polyesters and organic cotton that became popular with employees. —Given a choice,

“Over the years, we’ve played with the T-shirts and messages,” he said. “We had some that said, ‘I mashed the guac,’ or, ‘I made the chips.’ Those shirts did not leave the restaurant. Customers didn’t say, ‘That’s cool. Where do I get something like that?’” —Given a choice,

Employee uniforms need to fit within the context of a restaurant, Espey said. —Given a choice,

“They should blend in and look natural,” he said. “You do not want any component to distract from the customer’s experience.” —Given a choice,

Employees can help a company fashion its uniform look, said King from Taco John’s. He and human resources manager Stephanie Gooden worked with operators and restaurant employees to find uniforms that would work. Employees who wore larger sizes complained the previous shirts often came untucked, King said. So the new shirts have two more inches of material. They also have a straight hem so employees can leave them untucked if the store manager or franchisee allows it. —Given a choice,

The TJ logo also came from employees, who often used the abbreviation when referring to the fast-food chain, King said. —Given a choice,

Taco John’s employees at one of the first stores to get the new shirts praised the new look. —Given a choice,

“They create a sense of team,” said employee Nadene Robinson. “There’s a sense of togetherness and belonging. I’m proud to wear a nice uniform as opposed to what they wear at other places.” —Given a choice,

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