Chefs ditch toques for tees as restaurants look to cut costs

As finance types hung up their suits in favor of sweats last spring, chef attire underwent a transformation of its own: Gone was the need for pristine, pressed whites as kitchens pivoted to delivery and restaurateurs looked to slash laundry bills. In their place, Bloomberg reported, short sleeves and coveralls have begun to rule the day. Of course, restaurants were ditching toques for tees long before the pandemic. But like so many other cost-saving measures, this trend seems to have been accelerated by widespread shutdowns. As for the linen purveyors, florists, wine keg suppliers, and knife sharpeners on the other end of those cuts, business is a bit more bleak.

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