If you walk into a restaurant, you are most likely to see all the staff at the establishment wearing uniforms, both back of house staff as well as front of house staff. However, if you look closely enough you will notice that most restaurant staff wear different colored uniforms for the back and front of house. The kitchen staff will no doubt be in their iconic Chef whites, while the waiters and service staff in the front will be in black server aprons and uniforms. So, why this difference in color?

For kitchen staff, the Chef whites have been the uniform of choice for centuries, even though in recent times there have been newer designs coming out in bolder colors and designs. White is generally the color of choice for kitchen staff because any stains or dirt on it are easily noticeable, and they can quickly change their uniform to a cleaner one if necessary. White is also much easier to clean than other colors, as it can be bleached to remove stubborn stains, and stains certainly are part and parcel of a day’s work in a commercial kitchen. Chef whites also provide the wearer with an elegant and highly professional look.

For servers and wait staff of course, black is the color of choice. Unlike kitchen staff, wait staff are not able to do quick changes to their clothes if it gets stained or dirty, especially during long service hours. This is why they prefer to wear black, as it is easy to hide stains and spills on the shirt and pants as well as on the Server apron. For front of house staff, black is also elegant yet simple, creating the right ambiance that is inviting to customers.

Whatever the color of the uniform though, it is worn to protect the wearer from hot spills and splashes, and certain other hazards that are prevalent in a busy restaurant or kitchen.