We’ve Reviewed Some of the Best Restaurant Gear— Now, We’re Putting It All Together in One Comprehensive Guide
Over the years, we’ve featured some awesome brands focused on building the best gear for restaurant workers.
Other brands, like ourselves, understand that working in the service industry is unique. You need tools tailored to your specific needs, from clothing and shoes to tools or a job site like Poached.
To help you find everything you’ll ever need—we put together a comprehensive list of our favorite restaurant gear for hospitality workers.
The Best Restaurant Shoes
The Standard, by MISE
The team behind MISE has extensive experience building athletic and active footwear. They knew what they were doing when they approached the first shoe ever designed specifically for the restaurant industry.
With removable and washable insoles, The Standard is built with the comfort and support of a well-engineered athletic shoe. All the essential features are there, too, like being non-slip, oil-resistant, sturdy, and supportive.
Get a pair for $129.00
Forza, by Mozo
The Forza by Mozo, a shoe brand acquired by the industry’s go-to, Shoes for Crews, is a fantastic option for both BOH and FOH alike. With the slip-on look of a clog but the comfort and support of lace-up—you can’t go wrong.
These water-resistant bad boys are an industry favorite and are complete with Shoes for Crews’ proprietary slip-resistant traction, a removable gel insole, arch support, and stability.
Get a pair for $199.98
Best Restaurant Aprons
The Urban Collection, by ChefWorks
The whole damn collection, okay? What’s great here is that you can pick your style or a couple and still have a fantastic product that will hold up in the kitchen or on the floor.
ChefWorks is built for the industry and is an affordable brand you can’t go wrong with. Their Bib Aprons are a favorite and perfect for both FOH and BOH.
Get an apron for $30-50, depending on the style.
The Classic Chef Apron, by Reluctant Threads
Reluctant Threads began in the textile industry, then switched to supplying spices to James Beard award and Michelin star restaurants and chefs. Eventually, they started making aprons, too. The same restaurants and chefs buying their spices began wearing their aprons for the undeniable craft and quality.
Decently priced and simplistic—the Classic Chef Apron by Reluctant Threads is an excellent option. They also have other styles if you prefer a bistro style or a cross-back bib.
Get an apron for $38.95
Best Chef Knives
Sakai Takayuki VG10 Damascus Japanese 8” Chef Knife
Our very own Senior Customer Success Agent at Poached, who’s still a personal chef and formerly spent years working in the industry as an executive chef, swears by this knife.
These double-edged knives are made of 33-layers of Damascus steel around a VG-10 alloy core. The hand-crafted handles are built for comfort, while the blade is strong enough to handle the rigorousness of the kitchen.
Get a Knife for $126.99
8” Carter #1696 Stainless Fukugozai Perfect Kitchen Knife, by Carter Cutlery
If you want something that will slice through your bank account straight into anything in the kitchen and could be a piece of art, then look no further. You want the 8” Stainless Fukugozai by Murray Carter.
This baby’s a beaut. More importantly, it’s super functional and crafted to the utmost perfection. After all, Murray Carter is the 17th generational Yoshimoto Bladesmith—carrying on a 420-year-old family bladesmith tradition.
Get a Knife for $575 (I told you it would slice through your bank account).
Best Restaurant Stationery
The Mise Journal, by Chef Philip Speer
The Mise Journal is a fantastic notebook for BOH staff, but anyone in the restaurant industry could use it. Chef Philip Speer wants restaurant workers to remember that everything has its place—including your mental health.
This notebook includes 180 pages with areas to sketch out new menu items, create prep lists, jot down personal and professional goals, and a mental mise en place checklist to remind yourself to take care throughout the day.
Get a Journal for $20
Poached Swag
Of course, we have to mention our own branded swag. Not just because it’s free but because we put a lot of thought into the quality of our restaurant gear. We have Sharpies, pens & notebooks.
Most of our team at Poached comes from the industry, so we know that you can’t compromise on quality when it comes to stationery.
We made sure to brand only the best. With everything that can go wrong during service, your pens and paper should be the one thing you can rely on working.
Get yourself some sharpies, pens, and notebooks for free!
Finding the best restaurant gear for workers can be a bit difficult. There are a lot of brands out there that are decent enough—but they’re not focused on our unique industry.
When you spend all day on the floor or in the kitchen chopping vegetables and handling dishes—you want to ensure you’re set up for success. Having the uniform and tools built to handle everything a restaurant worker goes through is vital, from your feet to the pens and notebooks you use.
Check out any of the brands above, and read our more in-depth reviews if you’re still on the fence. And as always, if you’d like to get some free Poached Swag, Email us at social@poachedjobs.com!
