School Uniforms = A+ or C-: Interview with Made to Measure Magazine

MTM looks at the booming industry of school uniforms—its pros & cons. We interviewed several manufacturers, among them: Barbara Black—AA Uniforms; Lester Reif—Rifle; Steve Royal—Royal Park; Beth Silver—French Toast. This is what we discovered:

Purposes of School Uniforms

In recent years, the market has mushroomed.  Once a small specialty area, school uniforms have become a national trend, encompassing every child of school age.  Why—a movement in our country believes that sameness among our children will: Decrease peer pressure; control appearance by establishing dress-codes, which would eliminate inappropriate styles (some potentially cult-like); encourage monetary savings; put education before socialization.

Market Diversity

For decades, the market has been catering to more affluent private and parochial schools.  Now, middle class charter schools and public schools have gotten involved.  These are 2 economically diverse philosophies, which split the industry down the middle.   Those who, for years, have been involved in the tightly supervised, quality-controlled, contracted arena, are wary of mass marketing—a less expensive more diversified direct sales approach.  Similarly, those who manufacture more cost effective, less specialized items, have turned away from customized pricey-ness of the past.

Marketing to the Masses

Beth Silver, brand manager of French Toast Uniforms, supports her company’s integrity and focus: “We sell to the big chains—Target, Sears, K-Mart—and to uniform specialty stores, wherever people buy clothing.  We’re accessible, we’re visible.  We’re involved with a $30 million inventory in a micro-market.  We manufacture over 150 items, with 5000 SKU’s (Stock Keeping Units).  We offer high quality garments at affordable prices.

“We mass merchandise direct to parents and to retailers.  We have our website, we are visible to the people we serve, but we do not sell direct.  We learn our market areas, we stock local stores accordingly.  We give the people what they want, just like any other clothing manufacturer.  We started out with only 4 items 10 years ago, and we’ve grown as people have asked for greater diversity.  We speak directly with educators—we poll them—we find out what they want.

“People in the private sector are amazed that we can make reasonably priced garments for less money.  The public school clientele is relieved that there are no custom measurements, no special arrangements to be made 5-7 months before the next school year.  We sell all year round, and our uniforms are continually available.  We’re no longer a seasonal item.

“We have a Partners in Education program where we go into the schools and educate our customers.  Now, they’re saying, ‘Wow!  Purchasing uniforms is exciting and fun,’ instead of the hassle it used to be.  When you empower people to handle their own programs, it becomes easy for them.”

Mass Customization/Selective Merchandising

Steve Royal, head of Royal Park Uniforms, is equally as involved as Beth, but in a different market.  “We cater primarily to the private and parochial schools,” he says.  “The public schools don’t have a uniform code; they have a dress code.  There’s no real continuity there, and for our business, no money to be made.  The difference between the 2 is that a dress code is about colors, items.

“Public schools cannot demand standardized garments because of Constitutional law.  All they can say is, ‘Go buy a white shirt and a pair of tan pants.’  Do you know how many styles and fabrics and colors there are of tan pants?  Then, there’s the label.  A designer-labeled pair of tan pants still out-sparkles a discount-labeled pair of tan pants.  The main point of uniforms is to make everybody equal.  In a private school, everything is the same, everything is specified.  Everything is equal.  There are no labels.”

Lester Reif of Rifle Uniforms agrees. “There’s a tremendous difference between the public and private sectors.  In private, the market is our trading partner.  We plan our business based upon school compliance and standardized garments.  We know what to expect, and how many styles and fabrics to anticipate for the coming year.  In the public sector, there is no compliance, no specific market.  Everything is generic and last minute.”

Steve Royal continues, “We sell to 14,000 –15,000 private institutions a year.  We are able to do this by going through uniform specialty dealers.  Every school has a different color scheme, plaid, and/or style.  We frequently cut just 3 garments per size per color per style at a time.  Rather than issuing mass uniform styles and colors in stock sizes, we only supply a store with particular school items for that designated target area.  We respect the individuality of our customers.

“10-11 years ago, we solely made plaids, but we found people weren’t using our merchandise because we couldn’t provide a complete package to the schools.  So, we added everything, from barrettes and headbands to sweats, shorts, and sox.  We do yarn-dyed vs. less expensive printed plaids; our fabrics are more costly but they wash and wear longer.  People have to decide what’s cheaper in the long run: Our uniforms last for at least 3 years; the lower end garments begin to fade after 10-12 washings.

“Ironically, we owe our increase of business to the public school sector.  When it got involved, dress codes relaxed, and the private sector wanted that for its children, too.  Now, instead of uniforms just a few months a year, sold in the fall, we’re doing business all year round, transitioning and continually providing different accessories to our dealers.”

Room for Both

Barbara Black, president of AA Uniforms, acknowledges both points of view.

“The school uniform business is going Kaboom!  Private schools are quality driven; public schools are price driven. What’s unfortunate is that most consumers don’t recognize that higher price means higher quality.    

“The question is which market different uniform manufacturers want to target, because that’s how they will stay in business.  If a company wants to mass market, it needs to work with the principals of the schools, it needs to find out what it is people want, it needs to figure out how to keep manufacturing garments all year round that are primarily shopped for during August and September.  It needs to figure out what to do with inventory that is only saleable during back-to-school time.

“Department stores and big-box stores will have to figure this out, too.  Once school is in session, very few families go shopping for uniforms the rest of the year, unless it’s for a special situation.  Once the uniforms are purchased, they’re often handed down from sibling to sibling.  School uniforms are very different from seasonal items and fashion trends.

“Customized manufacturers, on the other hand, have to continue to sell in small stores but mass market so that they reach their clientele.  They have to be able to provide all those uniform items the mass marketed manufacturers do, and be able to convince their dealers that the extra cost is worth it.  Manufacturers for the private sector must continue to have contracts with the schools, guaranteeing production and purchasing of garments.  They have to go the extra distance in service through their partnerships with dealers and schools.”

Bottom Line 

Beth, Steve, Lester, Barbara, are all successful school uniform manufacturers.  They’ve done their homework regarding the marketplace and what it takes to stay in business.  What is true is that the lure of the lucrative school uniform business is also involving a lot of folks who don’t understand the pitfalls of the industry: The result is that many businesses, which either specialize in school uniforms or add them as a major part of their lines, fail.

Many of the companies, in order to succeed, are forced to buy goods and manufacture some if not all of their merchandise offshore.  Even Steve Royal, who prides himself in labor compliance outside of the U.S., says that there is no way labor compliance within the ‘States can be competitive.  The cost of living is simply too high.

If dealers and manufacturers aren’t prepared for enormous inventory outlays, (replenished by consumer purchases only a few months during the year), their businesses are lost.  If dealers don’t understand the challenges of properly measuring, fitting, planning for potential growth spurts, expectations for store inventory will be incorrect, customers will be ultimately unhappy, overheads will soar. 

Planning begins in December of the previous school year.  Projections are made on previous years’ sales.  Contracts with the schools need to be in place.  Orders begin in early February.  Measuring takes place in April and May.  June-July is high anxiety delivery; August is purchasing. 

During August, a manufacturer has to have at least half again as much inventory in stock for unexpected orders and/or, mis-calculated sizing.  For the most part, once September has passed, the industry is dormant.  So is income.

Few dealers are experienced with today’s “soccer moms.”  These are the tough, independent, demanding, educated, consumer-savvy women who are strong advocates for their kids, have answers for everything.  Once they’re alienated, a shop can go out of business; without the art, know-how, and finesse of handling this particular group, an entire school contract can be lost.

There is only so much business to go around.  Even with an ever-expanding marketplace, the more savvy manufacturers and dealers will survive, the majority of them won’t.  It will be interesting to observe how the bigger department stores handle uniforms as they become increasingly aware of all of the above.  It will be equally as interesting to observe how the private and public school markets will benefit and learn from one another.  At present, each is giving the other a run for the money. 

  

Excalibur Hotel Casino: Interview for Made to Measure

Jason Patrick Ross/Shutterstock.com

Excalibur Hotel Casino is a family-oriented resort located in Las Vegas. Part of Mandalay properties, this 4,032-room hotel has been operating since 1990.  Its focus combines the Middle Ages, King Arthur, and Robin Hood.  In addition to over 124,000 square feet of gambling casinos, there are 6 restaurants, swimming pools and sports facilities, shops, family entertainment areas, a wedding chapel, and an arena for jousting tournaments.  Marge Duquette-Castellanos, veteran of the uniform business, is Wardrobe manager.

H&A: This resort is huge!  As head of Wardrobe, what are your responsibilities?

Marge:  I hire and manage the personnel who work in Wardrobe.  This includes laundry, alterations, linens, employee lockers and showers, and the uniforms.  We can have 20 projects going on at once: Vendor notebooks; uniform samples; purchase-order ledgers, the inventory system; tracking each garment; flagging low stock…  I also search out new uniforms for the hotel.

H&A: How does that work?

Marge: A director of a department will tell me what he/she is looking for.  We come up with a basic idea and I’ll either sketch it or find something similar to show.  We submit the concept to several vendors (we have no favorites and encourage competition); they return live samples or their own sketches to us.  We build from there—the best ideas, best prices.  I take these back to the director, we eliminate certain ones, and go with a final sample.

We test the garments, putting them on employees.  Random members of our staff wear them, launder them 25 times, and dry-clean them 20 times more for aging.  Employees give us input in terms of comfort, function, and aesthetics.  (It’s very important employees feel good about what they’re wearing.  If they are pleased and comfortable, these same employees will have pride in themselves, enjoying their relationships with our clientele). 

Once we’re all settled on what we want, the department head and the general manager of the hotel OK it, and we go into final production.

H&A: Are all of your uniforms custom?

Marge: No.  Actually, the original uniforms were much more costumed.  They were uncomfortable, hot, perishable, very difficult to clean or alter, and the employees were miserable.  They cost a fortune to maintain. 

H&A: You abandoned them and went with ready-to-wear.

Marge: So much so that a lot of the hotel’s charm was abandoned.

H&A: Is that what you’re wearing now?

Marge: Nope.  We’ve reverted to uniforms that are once again reflective of the hotel’s theme.  However, we’ve compromised by using ready-to-wear garments that are easily customized.

H&A: How’s that?

Marge:  Take shirts: If I order custom, they will take 8-12 weeks to produce.  By the time they arrive, several people have quit, and we probably need different sizes.  Or, if I order similar shirts in stock-items, they arrive in a few days.  Then, we send them to our alteration department: We change a collar, add a stripe, re-make a cuff, or whatever it takes to give the proper look.  It’s faster and cheaper to go with a stock item, and it allows us to maintain our theme without the cost, maintenance, and lag-time of a custom garment.

H&A: What’s the percentage of your ready-to-wear merchandise?

Marge: We still have mostly custom but gradually, we hope to change over.

H&A: You mentioned your alteration department.

Marge: Yes.  I have 3 fulltime girls who do everything.  They even make some of our simpler uniforms in-house, and I’m hoping we do more of this.  My girls alter employees’ uniforms, stitch up tears, do terrific stock-item customizations, and re-design for employee special needs.  (One aspect of ready-to-wear that’s challenging is its limitation in style and color.  Our alteration department solves that problem.)

H&A: What is the procedure for an employee acquiring a uniform?

Marge: He or she goes to Human Resources, submitting a resume and references.  Everything okayed, there is an interview with the particular department where he’ll be working.  Once completed, it’s off to Wardrobe.  

H&A: Does he get issued a uniform at that point?

Marge:  Sort of.  We have a staff of 35 people—12 in laundry, 3 in alterations, and 23 managing the carousels, turnstiles, conveyors, scanners, lockers, and clothing slots.  The employee comes to our counter where our processor (who’s been doing this for years and has developed an eye for accurate sizing) hands the new employee a uniform for his area.  It’s off to the fitting room, and then over to alterations.

H&A: Then he takes his finished uniform and goes home?

Marge: After the uniform is suited to him, he is given a locker bag—a garment bag with a lock.  Every morning, that employee comes to the counter, announces his bag and slot numbers.  Our 7 conveyors house individual slots for each employee.  From there, his bag is taken with a freshly cleaned uniform, is scanned and given to the employee.  He puts his own clothes in the bag and puts on the uniform.  When his shift is over, he returns to Wardrobe and once again is issued his locker bag from the conveyor slot.  He replaces the uniform in the bag, takes his own clothing, and the dirty uniform goes to the laundry.

H&A: You mention scanning.

Marge: Yes.  We have 53,130 uniforms in this hotel.  There are over 350 different types, as well as different kinds of uniforms—housekeeping, engineering, the kitchen staff, waitstaff, front-desk.  There are court jesters, knights, courtiers.  We even have genuine suits of armor on display that have to be polished and buffed! 

Our scanners are just like the grocery stores’.  Every single item is given a bar code, and before the item goes anywhere—even in here within the walls of Wardrobe--it is scanned.

H&A: What does that do?

Marge: It eliminates any question of inventory because we always know exactly how many garments and of which size, we have.  Also, because everything is always scanned, we never have to worry where an item is.  If it goes to the laundry, the dry-cleaner, alterations, it’s scanned.  If it leaves Wardrobe with an employee, it’s scanned.

H&A: There are no problems with loss, theft, or low stock?

Marge: Very little.  No one is allowed within Wardrobe unless a Wardrobe person accompanies her.  The area is totally enclosed; only cashier-windows and counters are open to non-Wardrobe personnel.  There’s really no way to get anything in or out of the department.  As for low stock, since we always know exactly what we have, we know if there’s a shortage.

H&A: Computers.

Marge:  Exactly.  Everything is kept on computer.  Everyone in wardrobe is computer literate.

H&A: Do you have a customized inventory program for Excalibur?

Marge: Not really.  The program is used by many of the Mandalay properties.  It’s wonderful and lets us know exactly what’s going on at all times.

H&A: Are there any changes you would make?

Marge: Only that the software be user-friendlier.  My wish list is a program for pattern-assisted designs.  Imagine doing patterns for our own designs right here, in-house.  There would never be a question of copyright, or the enormous cost of making patterns, adjusting them, and so forth.

H&A: Everything is right here, on property.

Marge: I wish it were.  We still have our dry-cleaning done off-site.  Some of the garments can’t be laundered, and we don’t have a dry-cleaning facility at this time.  Also, our contractors for embroidery, silk-screening, and rental uniforms are located elsewhere.

H&A: I thought you owned all of your uniforms. 

Marge:  At this point, sadly, no.  We rent our kitchen and engineering uniforms, and the supplies that come with them—bar-mops, towels, you know.  It’s easier to get everything from one supplier; they have the industrial Laundromats that can get the heavy grease out of those garments. 

H&A: Considering Las Vegas is a one-industry town, I imagine there is a well-established cleaning and uniform-rental business to support it.

Marge: That’s right.  However, we bar-code and scan these uniforms, too.

H&A: I am totally impressed with all that you do.  What kinds of skills do you need for this job?

Marge:  There are no schools for wardrobe mistresses.  There are several of us in town, and we try to get together—we support and learn from one another.  (We’re all women, coincidentally, and we call ourselves “The Rag-mates.”)  I think skills for being a wife and mother of 2 children have helped a lot!  Certainly, my background in uniforms, sales and marketing has been invaluable. 

I also think it’s important to know about people.  Our staff represents a huge diversity in population, and folks in Wardrobe are employees helping other employees.  Wardrobe employees need to treat house-employees like guests—customers--at all times.  

H&A: I bet you love what you do.

Marge: I’ll tell you, there are days when I feel I’m buried under a mountain of paper and clothes…  It’s an exciting job, though, and no 2 days are alike.  For me, being in charge of Wardrobe is like a dream come true.

Legal Mandate for School Uniforms: Made to Measure Magazine

Passing a federal law to enforce a national wearing of school uniforms is a violation of the First Amendment.  While it would be an economic landslide for the uniform business, it would also deny all students freedom of choice and practical learning experience in matters of clothing.  Parents who are ineffective in earning respect from their children, seek to command them by law.

George Orwell, in his classic satire 1984; Sinclair Lewis in his novel Babbitt; Ayn  Rand in her opus, Atlas Shrugged; addressed such conformity (in those days, it was called Communism), and during the Cold War, our uniquely free American society repulsed at such symbolic acts of eliminating one’s individual identity.  Mandating, rather than choosing to be in uniform is a hideous repugnance to anyone who values his/her individuality; who values pride in his/her own presence and sense of personal taste.

Our clothing helps us to define who we are, for better or worse.  To legally deny usour physical and visual presence, is to deny us part of our unique selves.  To think that such a law might be conceived, might pass, is a commentary on how low our >once intellectually spirited framework of education has sunk; how fearful we as a society have become.  Imagine the mediocre minds, which would think that a Band-Aid for our ailing set of cultural priorities and ethics--school uniforms--would actually eliminate our society’s ills.  Rather, it would merely further hide and deny them.

Our country has survived and upheld its freedoms for over 200 years without such constraints and meltdowns of the masses.  We as a nation have always prided ourselves, albeit sometimes hypocritically, in our diversities and our courage in the face of challenge.  What a pity, as we end this century, that we have become so fearful of controlling our own free-spirited images that we seek to hide ourselves away, instead.

Sonnenalp Hotels: Interview with Made To Measure Magazine

Dennis Pepin/Shutterstock.com

The Faessler family of Bavaria has owned the 5-star Sonnenalp Resort Hotels since 1919.  20 years ago, Karl and his son, Johannes, came to the Vail Valley Ski Resort in Colorado.   Now, Johannes and his wife, Rosana, oversee their 3 hotels in this area, including golf courses, spas and pools, hiking, authentic cuisine, alpine décor, and specially chosen uniforms.  Prices vary: $175-$1700/night; quality must remain excellent.

Linda Marquez, uniform mistress for the corporation, is a quiet, attractive woman in her mid-50’s. Originally from a small town in Illinois, she came to Colorado with a high school diploma and a desire to work hard helping others. After several years attending patients in a state home, Linda decided to take a job in housekeeping. She ended up in Vail, where she has commuted daily for the last 14 years. Her official title is “Seamstress,” but she does much more, skillfully managing uniform disbursement for all of the Sonnenalp resorts in Vail.

MTM: How did you come to this position? What were your qualifications?

Linda: I needed a job, and this one was available. I had worked as a housekeeper in other hotels, so I knew what folks had to do; I had experience as a housekeeping clerk and I understood about what it took to manage people and how important it was to have a clean uniform. I could sew. I’m an organized person. I oversee the uniform, linen, laundry, and storage rooms, so I have to be.

MTM: You’ve been here ever since?

Linda: Yes. I also think it’s important to have good people skills. I deal with employees every day. Sometimes, I feel like I’m a mother to a zillion kids. Everybody needs things right away; I have to calm them down and help them out. I know how to iron and use the big presses. There’s always a stain or a button missing--something has to be cleaned or fixed.

MTM: Did you need any management training for the job?

Linda: I use a computer, and I make lists. I have to take inventory, of course, and make sure that there’s enough uniforms in stock. I have to plan ahead because some of our vendors only re-stock us once a year, but we’re on a monthly budget. I decide what I need, and give my information to the Executive Housekeeper, who places the orders with the suppliers. I think it’s mostly common sense.

MTM: I’m amazed that you are so humble about managing 3 different operations and doing as many things as you do!

Linda: All of the employees wear the same uniforms throughout the various hotels. The uniforms differ with specific job descriptions, but all waiters wear the same, all housekeepers wear the same, etc., even though there are different buildings, décor, and staffs.

MTM: Still, it’s a big responsibility and takes a huge amount of planning. How many employees are there?

Linda: About 300. That’s 2 uniforms per employee, which is about 600 uniforms. It varies from season to season. Our heaviest load of help is during the ski season. There isn’t a lot of continuity because many of the employees are either here from Europe on a visa, or they’re students. There are only a few of us who have been here a long time.

MTM: So how does it work—with “only” 300 employees who come and go?

Linda: We take a deposit out of the employee’s paycheck when he/she comes to work. I inspect each uniform after its weekly laundering—some are washed, some are dry-cleaned. If something’s wrong, the uniform has to be replaced.

I have a tackle box of buttons, and I save pockets. I’ve salvaged entire garments because of a single changed pocket. Our buttons are custom-made from elk horns; they can’t be purchased anywhere, so I hoard them for when one needs replacing. If a uniform is lost, or an employee quits and doesn’t return the uniform, however, he/she pays for it out of the final paycheck. No uniform, no paycheck. I have a file I keep on employees; every month, I submit it to Payroll; we work very closely together and steadily, things are getting better.


MTM: Do you have problems with theft?

Linda: Yes, although not so much. We have lockers and locker rooms, but some employees would go into other people’s lockers and steal their uniforms, so now everyone takes them home. Our uniform room wasn’t secure. Folks would come in to get linens and help themselves to a few shirts on the nearby shelves. Now, I have locked cabinets and gates, I'm sorry to say.


MTM: What actually do your people wear? Does one vendor provide everything?

Linda: The maintenance people get denim jeans and shirts from a department store. We get their embroidered patches from another vendor. We have a supplier which provides us with our stewarding uniforms; we use 2 companies for our chefs—one for embroidery, one for garments; we have a company in Germany which does our banquet and front desk outfits—alpine jackets, vests, skirts. Blouses and jumpers, also from Germany, are for housekeeping. Engineering makes our name badges—we bought a little machine. The men buy their own black pants, white shirts, and accessories.


MTM: Why so many vendors? And you buy retail?

Linda: I don’t make all the decisions where to buy. That’s up to the Housekeeper and the Faesslers. We go where we know we can get good service, quality merchandise at a good price. If a department store has good, economical merchandise in stock, why not buy it? Sometimes they’re backordered; sometimes the uniform suppliers are backordered. When either of them discontinues a style, I have a time trying to replace them!  

We can get different things from different companies. We like what each one has to offer, so we vary. We haven’t been able to find anyone suitable in this country who can make our alpine uniforms.


MTM: Is that a problem?

Linda: Yes. We tried to have the Americans make them for us once, but it wasn’t the same shade, cloth, quality, sizing or fit as the Europeans’. So, we import the uniforms from Bavaria once a year. I make an order in the Spring, and the uniforms arrive in the Fall.


MTM: Do you mind the custom uniform vs. ready-to-wear?

Linda: Not at all. It is a long time to wait, but part of that is because it’s overseas. We know what the schedule is, and we follow it. Our uniforms must be exact or it spoils the look of the hotels. The American companies had nothing to offer and their quality was poor.


MTM: What’s your laundry routine?

Linda: We send our wool and German made items to the dry-cleaners, the employees do their own blouses, black pants, and the rest we do here. We maintain a full service laundry.


MTM: Do you ever think about a rental service that will clean your uniforms for you?

Linda: No. We like being able to have what we want, and I can do everything right here.


MTM: How do you size your uniforms?

Linda: To tell you the truth, I don’t know how European and American sizes compare, so I just look at the person and start with that. Most things fit pretty well without alterations. I may have to hem a skirt or pair of pants now and then. That’s about it. I always keep a full set of try-on stock sizes for every garment issued.


MTM: What do you do with specially sized people?

Linda: If a person is tiny, I remake a small size to a smaller size. I always order extra, smaller sizes for that reason. If a person is larger, I fit him/her in a bigger size. I’m careful to keep large sizes on hand. Pregnant women fit in larger sized garments. Dirndl skirts are designed to be full, anyway.


MTM: Do the employees like their uniforms? Is it difficult for the housekeeping staff to work in full-length skirts and long sleeved blouses?

Linda: I think they like them. We have minimal complaints, and certainly no one has quit because he/she didn’t like the uniform.


MTM: What about maintenance?

Linda: When an employee is hired, he/she is told what has to be done regarding uniform care. The manager of each department is responsible for the appearance of his/her employees. If I see a garment that is not appropriate, I immediately phone that manager. Employees are to come to work clean, prepared to greet the public. Department managers have their own uniform specifications that must be met. If a person is dirty, he/she is sent to me immediately.


MTM: The Sonnenalp spans 2 continents and has been in business for 80 years. Do you have any final comments, as to the success of these marvelous hotels?

Linda: Our uniforms set us apart from the other resorts. We’re different, even here in Vail, where it’s like an alpine village. Every area in our hotels has its own unique uniform that brings color, style, and atmosphere.

This is a family-owned business, and I feel like I’m part of the family. I’ve been treated really well. That counts for a lot, and I believe that treatment is passed on to our customers.

Rainforest Cafe: Interview for Made to Measure Magazine

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 8:30 p.m.: Charly Robinson—senior vice-president of operations—manages a few reflective moments about his corporation, its direction, and the significance of uniforms as part of the larger picture. 

A native of Indiana, 43-year old Robinson intended to become an engineer.  He worked his way through college in the hotel-restaurant business, and graduated from Purdue University with a degree in restaurant & hotel management instead.  Married with 2 children, he and his family live in Minneapolis (Rainforest corporate headquarters).

H&A: What exactly is the Rainforest Café? 

Charly:  It’s a restaurant with a supporting retail outlet.  We pride ourselves in serving a diverse menu, which caters to adult and family dining at moderate prices.   Our theme is ecology and environment.

H&A: Whose idea was this? 

Charly: 25 years ago, Steven Schusler, a bird-lover and ecology fan, decided a special way to promote awareness and appreciation of the environment would be to re-create that environment as a restaurant.  He wanted people to sit and enjoy the beauty of our world.  He tried to market this concept of wildlife, and even turned his home into a rainforest.  He would invite people over, hoping they’d like his idea.  In 1994, Lyle Berman, our C.E.O., went to Steve’s house and they agreed on the Rainforest Café.

H&A: Did you turn the house into the first restaurant?

Charly: No.  We decided to open here in Minneapolis--the Mall of America.  We started with 150 seats and retail space for promotion of environmental awareness. 

H&A: Where are you located now?

Charly: We have thirty 300-seat restaurants, with 6 more scheduled to open in 1999.  22 are domestic, under our direct corporate control.  The additional 8 are more like international franchises because of customs, cultures, and laws unique to individual countries.

H&A: That’s terrific!

Charly: We’re doing well, growing, and are publicly traded on the NASDAQ.

H&A: Do you get funding from environmental agencies?

Charly: No.  We have our own Rainforest Foundation that focuses on education and land purchases for environmental use.  Our main goal is to educate people about the rainforest.  We’re not trying to preach, but to teach—children and families--about wildlife and endangered species.  We want to bring people more than a dining experience.

H&A: Do your employees support this philosophy?

Charly: Our mission is to pass on, through families and children, a passion for life and a concern for its survival.  All of our employees are instilled with this idea.  We encourage them to believe in something, as individuals.  I think they have a higher consciousness about our world.

 

Remember, we’re a food company.  We carry our thinking into the dining business by putting out a higher quality product.

H&A: How does this  “higher consciousness” impact your choice of uniforms?

Charly: Uniforms are a very important part of our concept.  They are part of the visual definition of who we are, and part of the machinery of the restaurant.

H&A: “The machinery?”  You still think like an engineer!

Charly: Yes.  A person has to have a product that allows for quick, efficient movement.  It can’t get in the way, has to wear well all day long, be easily cleanable, comfortable, and give its wearer a sense of pride about him/herself.  You have to think—are the pockets easy to get into?  Will a person with special needs—maternity, larger body, disabilities—look as good in this uniform as everyone else?

H&A: What do your people wear?

Charly:  In the front of the house, they wear safari shirts, hats, slacks or shorts, and fanny packs.  We provide the shirts and each individual provides the rest.  In the kitchen, we provide a basic black & white checked chef pant and white chef coat.  Anyone who wants to wear something different purchases his/her own garment.

H&A: Isn’t that kind of a hodge-podge?

Charly: No.  We have very specific guidelines about what our employees wear.  By law, anything with a logo has to be purchased by the corporation.  Other garments may be purchased by the employees.  We set limits on fabrics, colors, styles.  We have a definite look, standards we want to project; a uniform must fit into that projection.  For example, in the kitchen, a chef doesn’t have to wear black & white checked pants.  He/she can wear whatever color or pattern is preferable.  It can be the balloon pants or the slimmer ones.  But they have to be chef pants.  No khakis.

H&A: Have your employees always worn the same uniform?

Charly: We used to have them in polo shirts.  After a while, we decided the safari shirts were more attractive, and people felt special when they wore them.  We didn’t change just to change.  We wanted to look different from other restaurants, and we wanted something that complimented our employees.

H&A: How do you handle sizing?

Charly:  We use a unisex garment, which makes it easy.  For maternity, the safari shirt can be worn outside, instead of tucked in.  Each unit or restaurant has a stock room, and new employees try on the sizes.  We don’t allow anyone on the floor who is not in uniform, looking his/her best.  That’s a good reason for keeping a full range of sizes and clean garments on hand.

H&A: You chose to purchase rather than to rent?

Charly: Renting was never a consideration for us.  With our international restaurants, it isn’t an option.  Domestically, we handle each unit according to state laws and what works best for that unit.  But we always buy.   Handling 200-300 employees per restaurant and keeping track of that volume for rentals is impossible. 

H&A: What about cleaning?

Charly: Again, it’s up to the individual units.  We give them as much independence as we can.  What works well for one city may not for another.  The employees are responsible for their uniforms.  That’s why it’s important to have a garment that holds up well.

H&A: How do you keep track of them?

Charly: Each employee is issued a uniform when hired.  Then, there’s a hold on the last paycheck until it’s returned.

H&A: Do they all come back?

Charly: About 70%.  The rest of them—it isn’t worth the hassle.  It costs us more to track down the clothing than buy new.

H&A: Is there theft?

Charly: It’s never been a problem.  We keep the uniforms in the stock room and the director of purchasing inventories them.  Remember, most of the uniform belongs to the individual.

H&A: What about vendors?  Do you prefer “one-stop shopping?”

Charly:  We do what works.  When we had the polo shirts for the front of the house, we had one vendor.  When we went to the safari shirt, it didn’t work anymore, so now we continue to purchase all of our supplies and kitchen-wear from that vendor, but we have gone to a smaller custom manufacturer for our shirts.

H&A: Is a custom garment a problem?

Charly: No.  We figured out exactly what we wanted, and we found a manufacturer.  Disney, a partner, helped us with that.  We get 4-6 weeks’ delivery on the merchandise, and our director of purchasing here in Minneapolis gets orders from each unit manager.  Our units have the garments drop-shipped to their locations as per need.  We expect our local purchasing people to be proactive, not waiting until the last minute to do the ordering.

H&A: You seem to have given a lot of thought to uniforms.

Charly: Uniforms are very important for us.  Timing is critical.  We’re a director-of- operations driven company, and we pay each unit director good money to run the individual unit.  We provide the trust, support, and responsibility to do the job.  How each individual drives the unit is up to him/her.  Company standards must be met, however.  Every employee must be in a cleaned, ironed uniform, attractively and appropriately attired.

H&A: How is your corporate hierarchy organized?  You pay so much attention to efficiency.

Charly:  The uniform focus starts with the vice president, the director of operations.

H&A: That’s you.

Charly: That’s me.  Then, we go to the vice-president of food and beverage, who handles procurement. From him, to the director of purchasing who is in charge of ordering.  Each unit has a director of operations who oversees the local unit, and that director has a purchasing person whom is directly responsible for uniforms.  It sounds like a lot of people, but it really isn’t.  It’s important the job be done right.

H&A: Earlier, you mentioned the competition.  How do you evaluate it?

Charly: All of our people eat out a lot.  We’re always looking to see what’s up in every aspect of the restaurant business.  Price is important to us, but it’s never our primary concern.  We want to be coordinated with our environment, and we want to be synonymous with high quality fashion, food, and atmosphere.  Our employees feel proud to work here.  We definitely don’t want to look like everybody else.

H&A: You’ve given your organization a huge amount of thought, time, and energy.  That’s obvious.  Is there anything else that you want to add?

Charly: Yes.  We feel our uniforms are a very important part of our restaurant concept.  Unfortunately, uniform manufacturers haven’t kept up with the current trends in fashion and clothing.  They haven’t been as creative within their industry as they could be.  It’s the same old thing everywhere.  Uniforms need to keep up with the styles.  A successful company always wants to go to the next level.

H&A: If you had to pick someone to handle your job dealing specifically with uniforms, what would be the necessary qualifications?

Charly: I’d want someone who is familiar with and knowledgeable about body shapes, movement of bodies and how they work; the look and feel of the operation; the laws of the state for each specific operation; handling and distributing stock.  Uniforms are like anything else—it’s a process, just like food.  You need to know what you need--how much and when, and stay ahead of the game.

H&A: Final advice?

Charly: Do you mean are there valuable life lessons to be learned?  I don’t think so.  It’s a learning curve from where you start—you, the company, and how it works.  I just want to make sure I always introduce everyone to everyone else so there’s a connection.  New people like to be in control, and do things their way.  One of the things they do first is fire the old people and change old ways of doing things.  That’s not always healthy—to change for change’s sake.  If people know each other, and can support each other, the transition is usually more productive for everyone.