Restaurant Merchandise Guide 2026: Custom Aprons, Polos & Branded Apparel

If you run a restaurant, café, or hospitality team, branded apparel does double duty — it identifies your staff to customers and turns those same customers into walking billboards once they buy a t-shirt or hat with your logo. Restaurant merchandise spans both: the aprons and polos your team wears every shift, and the branded swag you sell at the counter or give to regulars.

This guide walks through the five core categories of custom restaurant merchandise — aprons, polos, t-shirts, hats, and hoodies — with the specific products we customize for restaurant programs, plus how to think about logo placement, pricing tiers, and building a coordinated brand kit that actually gets worn.

Prices shown are “from” prices — the blank garment plus the cheapest decoration option (one small embroidered or DTF logo). Final cost rises with logo size, stitch count, and number of placements, and falls with order volume.

What Counts as Restaurant Merchandise?

Restaurant merchandise breaks into three overlapping use cases — and most successful restaurant brands run all three at once:

• Staff uniforms. Aprons for kitchen and front-of-house, polos for servers and managers, hats for kitchen line. Branded so guests know who works there and what your brand looks like up close.
• Customer-facing merch. T-shirts, hats, and hoodies you sell at the counter or online — your loyal regulars want to wear your logo, and the merch margin is real.
• Promotional & event giveaways. Soft launches, anniversaries, food festivals, catering booth setups. Branded apparel costs less per impression than almost any paid ad channel.

The smart move is to spec all three from one fabric and decoration provider so the colors, embroidery thread, and logo digitization stay consistent across every piece. A regular wearing your branded t-shirt should immediately recognize the same logo on your servers' polos and your line cooks' aprons — that visual continuity is what turns "merch" into a brand asset rather than a one-off purchase.

Custom Aprons — The Foundation Piece (from $17–$34 decorated)

Aprons are the most-worn piece of restaurant apparel. Every kitchen team and most front-of-house teams wear one every shift, which means an embroidered apron is the highest-frequency brand impression you'll get from any single garment in the program.

Most restaurant programs anchor on the A500 for back-of-house and the A815 or A703 for front-of-house — same logo, two visual reads. Front-of-house aprons get more customer-facing exposure, so the canvas option earns its premium quickly.

Complete Apron Lineup — 20 Styles by Use Case

Beyond the three workhorses above, our hospitality collection now carries the full Port Authority apron catalog — 20 styles covering every role from bartender to chef to host stand. Pick by silhouette and use case:

Browse the full lineup with color options and bulk pricing on our hospitality collection — 58 styles across aprons, polos, dress shirts, bar towels, hats, and outerwear.

What's the difference between bib aprons and waist aprons for restaurant staff?

Full bib aprons (Port Authority A500, A800, A900) cover from chest to mid-thigh — used by line cooks, prep staff, kitchen staff, and chefs who need protection from splatter. Waist aprons (A602, A702, A706) cover hip to mid-thigh only — used by servers, bartenders, and counter staff who need pocket access without restricting torso movement. Pick by role, not preference: front-of-house = waist; back-of-house = bib.

What apron color hides stains best for commercial laundering?

Black, navy, and deep brown hide tomato sauce, grease, and red wine stains visually between washes. Stone, khaki, and natural canvas show stains more but read upscale for craft restaurants — pair with weekly laundering rotation. Avoid pure white aprons for any role except culinary chefs (where stains signal active cooking).

Branded Polos — Front-of-House Standard (from $28–$55 decorated)

Polos cover front-of-house servers, hosts, managers, and any staff role where an apron isn't appropriate but a t-shirt feels too casual. Embroidered polos read as "professional uniform" without crossing into corporate-office territory — exactly the register most full-service restaurants want for their dining-room teams.

OGIO Caliber 2.0 Polo OG101 — from $36.01 decorated

blank $28.01 + decoration from $8

The premium manager polo. Performance pique knit in OGIO's signature athletic fit — the polo for executive chefs, GMs, and front-of-house captains. Reads upscale even paired with denim. Embroidery on chest panel pops on the deep solid colors. Available XS–4XL.

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OGIO Women's Jewel Polo LOG101 — from $54.99 decorated

blank $46.99 + decoration from $8

The premium women's manager polo. Women's-cut Caliber series — softer drape than the men's K540, snatched waist. The polo for women hosting, captaining, or running floor — distinguished from server uniforms by fabric quality. Paired with the men's OG101 for unified leadership-team branding. Sized XS–4XL.

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Why do most restaurants choose embroidery over DTF for polos?

Embroidered logos on polos read as 'uniform' rather than 'promo' — the raised thread distinguishes professional service staff from event giveaway tees. Embroidery also survives the daily commercial laundering most polos receive without fading. DTF works for polos when the logo is large and multi-color and you'd otherwise pay $4-5 extra for embroidery thread changes. Most restaurant programs combine both: embroidery for FOH polos, DTF for BOH tees.

Should men's and women's polos be the same fabric?

Yes — pair Port Authority K500 men's with L500 women's, or OGIO OG101 with LOG101. Same fabric ensures matching feel and shrinkage behavior across the team after commercial laundering. Different fabrics across genders telegraph 'we ordered separately' and breaks visual unity of the uniform program.

Knit Dress Shirts — Host Stand & Fine Dining Front-of-House (from $40–$47 decorated)

For restaurants where polos read too casual — fine dining hosts, maitre d', upscale steakhouses, hotel restaurants — a structured knit dress shirt sits between the polo and a true button-down. Wrinkle-resistant, comfortable through a long dinner service, embroidery-friendly chest panel.

When should a restaurant choose dress shirts over polos for hosts?

Dress shirts (Port Authority K570/L570 knit dress shirts) read more upscale than polos and work for hosts, sommeliers, and front-of-house management at fine dining restaurants where polos feel too casual. Polos win at fast-casual, brewery taprooms, and bistros. The rule: if your menu prices average over $35 per entree, dress shirts; below that, polos.

Custom T-Shirts — Versatile for Staff & Customer Merch (from $15–$26 decorated)

T-shirts do two jobs in restaurant programs: casual staff wear (kitchen line, food trucks, concept restaurants where polos don't fit the brand) and customer-facing merchandise (sold at counter, in online merch shops, given to regulars). Pick the fabric tier based on which job dominates your use.

BELLA+CANVAS 3501 Long Sleeve Tee — from $24.00 decorated

blank $16.00 + decoration from $8

The long-sleeve back-of-house pick. Combed and ring-spun cotton long-sleeve jersey — for kitchen line, prep cooks, and cold-storage staff who need warmer coverage than a short-sleeve but still washable daily. Embroidery on chest, DTF full-back for shift identification. 30+ colors.

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How do you decide between embroidery and DTF for staff tees?

Use embroidery for small chest logos (4″ × 4″ or smaller) on tees worn by FOH-adjacent staff (counter, bar back, food runner) — looks more professional. Use DTF for BOH staff tees with large full-back shift identifiers ('Kitchen', 'Prep', station name) — DTF is dramatically cheaper than embroidery at sizes over 6″ × 6″. Customer-facing retail merch tees almost always use DTF for bold logo aesthetic.

Custom Bar Towels — Branded Bartender Essentials (from $12 decorated)

Bar towels are the easiest, lowest-cost piece you can add to a restaurant merch program — and one of the most visible. Every bar service uses a towel for every drink poured. An embroidered or printed logo on a bar towel is in the customer's eye line continuously through their entire visit, at a per-piece cost that makes a 50–100 piece order trivially affordable.

How do you embroider on a bar towel without affecting absorbency?

Embroider only on one corner (typically 2″ × 1.5″) with a fine-stitch fill — leaves 95%+ of the towel absorbent. Port Authority PT390 hemmed and PT400 grommeted bar towels both have a designated corner panel for branding. Avoid embroidering across the full towel face — even minimal stitching reduces absorbency in the embroidered area.

Branded Restaurant Hats & Caps — Brand Visibility Above the Crowd (from $23–$28 decorated)

Deep dive on restaurant cap selection: see our Restaurant Caps Guide — Richardson 112 vs Sport-Tek STC39 vs Trucker Options for the full 7-cap comparison with embroidery placement specifics.

Hats earn their place in a restaurant merch program for two reasons: the kitchen team often needs hair coverage, and the front-facing logo on a hat is the most visible single placement on any garment — readable from across a dining room or out a drive-through window.

What's the best cap style for restaurant staff in hot kitchens?

Mesh-back trucker caps (Port Authority C993 foam trucker, New Era NE410 foam rope trucker) maximize airflow — best for line cooks who need head coverage but not heat retention. For front-of-house, structured 6-panel caps (Richardson 112) hold their shape through long shifts. Avoid full-fabric structured caps (Carhartt CT103938) in hot kitchens — they retain heat poorly.

Hoodies & Sweatshirts — Cold-Weather Branding (from $37–$87 decorated)

Hoodies extend your merch program into fall and winter. For staff, they layer over polos for outdoor seating shifts and food truck operations. For customer merch, they're the highest-margin piece in the program — regulars happily pay $40–60 for a hoodie with their favorite restaurant's logo.

BELLA+CANVAS 3719 Pullover Hoodie — from $63.00 decorated

blank $55.00 + decoration from $8

The retail-merch pullover pick. Sponge-fleece pullover hoodie — the highest-grade fabric in mainstream merch. Restaurants selling logo'd hoodies through merch counter or online shop choose 3719 because it justifies $50–70 retail pricing. Combed ring-spun cotton, mid-weight 8.2 oz, soft hand. 46 colors.

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BELLA+CANVAS 3739 Full-Zip Hoodie — from $53.00 decorated

blank $45.00 + decoration from $8

The premium full-zip alternative. Same sponge-fleece fabric as 3719 in a zip-front cut — works for staff who layer over polos at outdoor patio shifts and for retail customers who prefer zips over pullovers. Embroidery on left chest reads cleaner than DTF on the heavier fleece face. Sized XS–3XL.

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BELLA+CANVAS 3901 Fleece Raglan Sweatshirt — from $57.00 decorated

blank $49.00 + decoration from $8

The raglan crewneck for casual-cool brands. Raglan-sleeve fleece crewneck — the alternative for restaurant concepts where a hoodie feels too sportswear. The raglan cut reads modern-retail (think craft brewery merch aesthetic). Heavy 9 oz sponge fleece. Embroidery dominant — chest, sleeve, or center-back. 25 colors.

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Should restaurant merch hoodies be the same as staff hoodies?

Generally yes — same style, different volume. The BELLA+CANVAS 3719 pullover ($45) is the most common pick that works for both: staff get them at cost, retail customers pay $50–70. Running one SKU simplifies inventory and reorder cycles. Some restaurants run a 'staff-only' variant (different color) for visual distinction — works if your staff hoodie color isn't sellable to customers anyway.

Cold-Weather Outdoor Layers — Patio Service, Valet & Food Trucks ($30–$79)

Restaurants with outdoor patios, rooftop bars, food trucks, or valet teams need a winter layer for staff who don't work indoors. These layers also serve as catering uniforms for outdoor events. Embroidered logos on chest or left sleeve work cleanly across all four options.

Port Authority F218 1/4-Zip Fleece Pullover — from $53.00 decorated

blank $45.00 + decoration from $8

The budget cold-weather pick. Anti-pill fleece pullover — the cost-effective layer for valet teams, patio servers, and outdoor catering. Pairs with the F217 jacket as a fall/spring transitional piece. 12.4 oz polyester fleece, embroidery sits clean on left chest.

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Port Authority F217 Fleece Jacket — from $45.00 decorated

blank $35.00 + decoration from $10

The full-zip fleece for outdoor patrol. Full-zip anti-pill fleece — extra warmth for outdoor service staff (valet, patio, food truck) in shoulder seasons. F217 men's and L217 women's let one program outfit both genders consistently. Deep zippered hand pockets, embroidered chest works at 4″×4″.

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Port Authority F219 Fleece Vest — from $45.00 decorated

blank $35.00 + decoration from $10

The core-warmth vest pick. Vest version of the F217 line — warmth without sleeve bulk. Works for staff who need arm mobility (bartenders prepping outdoors, food-truck cooks) but want core warmth in cool air. Pairs with L219 women's. Front zippered pockets, chest embroidery.

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Port Authority J325 Core Soft Shell Vest — from $40.00 decorated

blank $30.00 + decoration from $10

The premium soft-shell upgrade. Soft-shell vest — water-resistant face, woven body, looks more structured than fleece. The right vest for restaurant management on the floor or upscale outdoor service where fleece reads too casual. Embroidery on left chest or back yoke. Sized XS–4XL.

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Port Authority J333 Torrent Waterproof Jacket — from $62.08 decorated

blank $52.08 + decoration from $10

The rain-protection layer. Waterproof breathable jacket — for valet teams, outdoor caterers, or food trucks operating year-round through wet conditions. Logo embroidery on left chest (waterproof tape preserves seal). Single jacket-only option in the program; pair with vests for warmth underneath.

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Port Authority K807 Interlock 1/4-Zip — from $86.69 decorated

blank $78.69 + decoration from $8

The office-style transitional layer. Knit interlock 1/4-zip — the option for hosts and managers who layer over dress shirts (rather than fleece-zipped polos). Reads more business-casual than F218 fleece. Embroidery on chest sits cleaner on the smooth knit face.

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Do valet teams need ANSI hi-vis at night?

Yes — valet operations in traffic at night or in low light should wear ANSI Class 2 vests over uniform polos. CornerStone CSV100 economy vest ($20) pulls on over any uniform, customizable with embroidered restaurant logo. OSHA references ANSI/ISEA 107 for parking-lot worker visibility, regardless of whether the worker is moving cars or directing traffic. Same visibility standard applies to outdoor catering load-ins after dusk.

Logo Placement on Restaurant Apparel — What's Different by Category

Restaurant apparel has more logo-placement quirks than corporate uniform programs because the categories are so different — chest logos on aprons sit at a different height than chest logos on polos, and the visual line of sight differs across customer interactions:

• Aprons. Logo centered on the upper chest panel, 7–8 inches down from the neck strap, sized 3.5–4 inches wide. Most-visible placement in your entire program — guests see the apron logo while ordering, paying, and being served. Worth investing in clean digitization here.
• Polos. Standard left-chest placement, 7 inches down from the shoulder seam, 4 inches from the centerline. Logo size 3–3.5 inches wide on chest. For management roles, consider name embroidery on the right chest opposite the logo.
• T-shirts (staff). Left-chest matches polo placement. For full-front DTF prints (used more on customer-facing merch than staff), center the design 4–5 inches down from the neckline.
• T-shirts (retail merch). Customer merch usually wants larger, more design-forward placement — full-front DTF or larger embroidered chest logos. Different art file from the staff version, even if the logo is the same.
• Hats. Center front panel, 1.5 inches above the brim. Logo size 3–3.5 inches wide × 2–2.5 inches tall. For trucker caps, the structured front holds the embroidery shape better than a soft cap will.
• Hoodies. Left-chest for staff (matches polo), full-front or full-back for retail merch. Hoodie pocket and hood drawstrings affect placement — chest logos sit slightly higher than on a t-shirt to clear the pocket.

For a coordinated brand program, lock the digitization once and apply the same logo across all categories with category-specific placement adjustments. Our embroidery setup amortizes across the whole order — you don't pay digitization separately for each garment type.

What's the standard logo size for restaurant apparel?

Left chest: 4″W × 2.5–4″H is the standard for polos, dress shirts, and chef coats. Apron front (chest-pocket area): 4″W × 4″H or up to 4″W × 7″H for full apron panel placement. Cap front: 4″W × 2.25″H. Back-of-shirt shift identifier (DTF only): 10″W × 12″H for visibility across a busy kitchen. Bar towel corner: 2″W × 1.5″H.

Embroidery vs DTF on Restaurant Apparel

Most restaurant programs use a mix:

• Embroidery for aprons, polos, hats, and hoodie left-chest placements. Survives industrial laundering, reads premium, and pairs with the standard restaurant uniform aesthetic.
• DTF printing for t-shirts and hoodie back/full-front placements. Better for multi-color logos and designs that include illustrations, gradients, or photo elements. Most retail-facing merch (sold at counter or online) uses DTF for the design freedom.

If your logo is single-color and text-based, embroidery covers everything. If you have a complex multi-color logo or want artwork beyond just the wordmark, DTF for t-shirts plus embroidery for everything else is the standard mix. See our full decoration method comparison for the cost-per-piece breakdown.

When should I mix decoration methods in one program?

Most successful restaurant programs use 2-3 decoration methods, matched to garment and role. Typical 50-person restaurant: embroidered polos (FOH servers, 40 pieces), embroidered aprons (kitchen + host, 24 pieces), DTF full-back tees (BOH staff with shift identifiers, 60 pieces), embroidered premium polos (management differentiation, 5 pieces). Free digitizing applies once per logo, so the embroidery investment pays back across all embroidered pieces.

Restaurant Merchandise Pricing & Volume Tiers

Per-piece pricing on a restaurant merchandise order depends on three things: the blank garment cost, the decoration method (embroidery typically $4–8 per logo, DTF $3–7), and the order volume. Per-piece economics improve sharply at the 12, 25, 50, 100, and 250 piece breakpoints.

For a typical restaurant launch program — say 12 aprons + 12 polos + 24 t-shirts + 12 hats — all-in pricing usually lands around $22–35 per piece including embroidery and a one-time logo digitization fee. The same order at 50 pieces per category drops to roughly $18–28 per piece. For full pricing context including bulk tier breakpoints, see our MOQ guide.

Reorders for new hires typically don't pay setup again — your digitized logo stays on file for the life of the account, and 6+ piece reorders ship at the volume rate of the original order tier.

How many polos per server should a restaurant order?

Plan for 3–4 polos per server in active rotation. Servers typically wear one, have one in the laundry, and need a backup for unexpected stains mid-shift. For a 20-server roster, that means 60–80 polos per ordered color. Add 10% for new hires arriving between order cycles. Aprons follow the same math: 2–3 per kitchen staff member, 3–4 per host stand.

How to Build a Restaurant Merch Program — Step by Step

• Step 1 — Lock your colors and logo file. Pick one or two brand colors that work across all garment types. Get a vector logo file (.ai, .eps, .svg, or high-res .pdf) — this is what we digitize for embroidery and prep for DTF.
• Step 2 — Start with aprons + polos. Most successful restaurant programs anchor on the staff uniform pieces first — aprons for back-of-house, polos for front-of-house. Order from 1 piece — volume discounts kick in at 24+ pieces per role without over-committing inventory.
• Step 3 — Add t-shirts and hats for events and overflow staff. The second wave of the program — branded t-shirts for catering events or food trucks, hats for kitchen line, and the start of customer merch.
• Step 4 — Launch retail merch as a separate sub-program. Customer-facing merch (t-shirts and hoodies sold at counter) deserves its own SKU strategy — different fabric, different placement, often different color palette. Use the same logo but treat the merch line as a distinct product offering, not "extras of the staff uniform."
• Step 5 — Set a reorder cadence for new hires. Most restaurant programs reorder every 60–90 days for new staff. Reorders of 6+ pieces don't pay setup again — your digitized logo and order specs stay on file.

How to Order Restaurant Merchandise

Two paths depending on order size and complexity:

Option 1 — Order Directly Online. Pick the garments and colors you need, configure decoration on each product page (logo placement, upload artwork), select quantity, and check out. Volume discounts apply automatically at checkout. Digital proof sent before production starts. Best for first orders, smaller pilot runs, or any order where the spec is straightforward.

Option 2 — Request a Custom Quote. For larger or more complex orders we recommend the quote path:

• Mixed orders across multiple garment types (aprons + polos + t-shirts + hats)
• Programs over 100 total pieces
• Multi-location or multi-restaurant rollouts that need staggered delivery
• Restaurants with procurement processes (POs, NET-30 terms, single invoice)
• Rush deadlines that need production-schedule confirmation

Quote turnaround is typically one business day with a per-piece price, MOQ tier, and production timeline.

Related Restaurant Apparel Guides

Go deeper on each piece of your restaurant program with our category guides:

• Best Custom Aprons for Restaurant Staff — all 20 Port Authority apron styles compared, from $8 waist aprons to premium canvas and signature bibs, matched to back-of-house and front-of-house roles.
• Chef vs Server vs Bartender Uniforms — how to brand each restaurant role: chef aprons, server polos, bartender waist aprons, and manager dress shirts under one consistent logo program.
• Restaurant Caps Guide — Richardson 112 vs Sport-Tek STC39 vs foam truckers and UPF performance caps, the highest-visibility logo placement in your merch program.

Ready to Spec a Restaurant Merch Program?

Restaurant Merchandise FAQs

Common questions restaurant owners and managers ask before placing a custom branded apparel order.

What is restaurant merchandise? Restaurant merchandise is custom branded apparel a restaurant produces for two purposes: staff uniforms (aprons, polos, t-shirts, hats worn during service) and customer-facing branded merch (t-shirts, hats, hoodies sold at the counter or online). The smart approach is to use the same logo and color program across both — staff uniform consistency reinforces the brand, and customer merch turns regulars into walking advertisements.

What's the minimum order for branded restaurant merchandise? We have no minimum — order from 1 piece. Volume discounts begin at 24+ pieces per design. You can mix garment types within an order (12 aprons + 12 polos counts as 24 total decorated pieces), but each unique design starts at 1 piece — volume discounts kick in at 24+ per design. Single-piece samples are available through our decoration services for proof-of-concept before committing to a full run.

Should I order matching aprons, polos, and t-shirts for my restaurant? Yes — running one consistent logo and color program across all garment types is the highest-ROI move for restaurant branding. Same digitization, same thread color, same logo placement standard. Our embroidery setup is amortized across the whole order, not per garment type, so the logo digitization fee applies once even if you're ordering five different products.

Embroidery or DTF printing for restaurant apparel? Most restaurant programs use both. Embroidery for aprons, polos, hats, and hoodie chest placements — survives industrial laundering and reads premium. DTF for t-shirts and full-back hoodie prints where multi-color or design-forward artwork is needed. Single-color text logos can be done entirely in embroidery; complex artwork pushes you toward DTF for the design freedom.

How long does a restaurant merchandise order take? Standard production is 7–10 business days after design proof approval, plus shipping. Logo digitizing for first-time orders adds 1–2 business days before production starts. Reorders that use existing digitized logos skip the digitizing wait and go directly into production. Rush turnaround may be available — contact us with your deadline for a confirmed schedule.

Can I reorder restaurant merch for new hires without paying setup again? Yes. Once your logo is digitized for the first order, the file stays on our system permanently. Reorders of 6+ pieces of the same garment ship at the original volume tier rate without re-paying setup or digitization. Most restaurant programs reorder every 60–90 days for new staff and ongoing merch demand.

Can I sell branded merchandise at my restaurant counter? Yes — many of the restaurants we work with run a "merch corner" with branded t-shirts and hats for sale. The economics work well: a $7 blank t-shirt with $4 DTF print sells at $20–25 retail, generating both margin and brand awareness when the customer wears it. We can deliver in retail-ready packaging if you'd like.

What counts as custom restaurant merchandise?

Custom restaurant merchandise includes any branded apparel or accessories worn by staff or sold to customers under your restaurant's brand. Most common categories are branded aprons (bartenders, servers, chefs), polos and t-shirts for front-of-house teams, branded restaurant hats (caps, beanies, visors), and retail merch like souvenir tees sold at the bar. CraftTory decorates all of these with embroidery, DTF, or HTV — order from one piece.

Where can I order custom merch for restaurants in small quantities?

CraftTory specializes in custom merch for restaurants at any quantity, including small runs. You can order a single test apron or a complete uniform program for the entire team. We work with premium blanks (Port Authority, BELLA+CANVAS, Sport-Tek) and offer free logo digitization on first orders. Production typically ships in 1–2 business days for single-piece orders, 3–5 days for bulk.

What types of branded restaurant hats are available?

Branded restaurant hats commonly used in hospitality include trucker caps (Richardson 112, Sport-Tek STC39), structured baseball caps (Port Authority CP80), beanies for kitchen and outdoor patio teams, and visors for outdoor service. We embroider logos on the front panel — clean, professional, and durable through commercial laundering cycles.