Inside a 250-Piece Restaurant Staff Uniform Project

This is what a typical enterprise project looks like, drawn from the kind of work we run every week. The numbers, garments, and timeline below are representative of an average 250-piece restaurant staff uniform refresh — the size of order that a multi-location bar or restaurant group typically lands on.

The brief

  • 100 black tees — 3-color front print of the restaurant logo, back text with locations and “Est. 2015.”
  • 100 navy hoodies — small chest logo on front, full-back graphic with menu items.
  • 50 embroidered hats — restaurant name and logo on front.
  • Distributed shipping — size breakdowns specific to each of 5 locations.
  • Single PO — one invoice covering all 250 pieces.

The 10-day project flow

  1. Day 1 — brief call. 20-minute call to confirm garment choices, sizes, and design intent. We pull the existing logo, fix any registration drift in the print files, and email digital mockups within four hours.
  2. Day 2 — approval. Owner approves with a minor color tweak.
  3. Days 3–5 — production setup. Screens burned for the tee print, embroidery digitized for the hat logo, DTF transfers prepped for the hoodie back graphic (full-color photographic source — better than screen printing for this design).
  4. Days 6–9 — production. All 250 pieces printed and embroidered at the U.S.-based facility. Quality check on a 10% random sample before packing.
  5. Day 10 — shipped. Five separate shipments to five locations, each pre-sorted by size. Tracking numbers emailed to location managers and the owner.

What makes a project like this work

  • Multiple print methods on the same project. Screen print for the tee (cost-effective at 100 pieces), DTF for the hoodie back (handles full color photographically), embroidery for the hat (durable, premium feel). One vendor, one PO, three methods, each picked for fit.
  • Premium blanks, not generic. Comfort Colors for the tees, Gildan 18500 for the hoodies, embroidered 5-panel snapbacks. Real garments, not bulk no-name shirts.
  • Distributed logistics on a single PO. Size breakdowns by location, separate shipments, single billing. Owners don’t want five invoices.

What it costs

A project at this size typically lands in the mid-four-figures, all-in (garments + decoration + shipping). Anchor pricing: tees from $8 · hats from $12 · hoodies from $20. Polos, jackets, and accessories are quoted per project. No setup fees on standard orders.

Could you run a project like this?

If you operate one or more hospitality venues and your staff apparel needs a refresh — or you’re launching a new merch program for the bar — we run projects exactly like this one every week. Request a quote with your logo and a rough order shape, or email 3rdAvePrints@Gmail.com. We’ll respond within one business day.