This look has long been attached to the profession, but did you know that this emblematic piece comes with a long, storied history?

It all starts with the Assyrians…or does it?

Popular histories attribute the first use of the chef hats to as early as the 7th century BC in the ancient civilization of the Assyrians. This was a trying period to be a member of the royalty, as they dealt with assassination attempts through poisonings. So, the kings of the time went above and beyond to keep chefs happy by creating a special hat for them. The hat was intended to honor chefs as a distinguished and more valued member of the king’s court – separate from the ordinary kitchen employees. In fact, the word toque is derived from the Assyrian term meaning “round hats.”

Other accounts attribute the first usage of the modern chef’s hat to a later time, around 7th century AD during the Byzantine Empire’s invasion of Greece. During this time, chefs were forced to seek shelter in monasteries. The chefs disguised themselves as priests, donning their robes and veiled top hats called skoufos. When the persecutions were over, the chefs were said to have retained the use of the robes and the hats sans the veil. The tradition continued as the Roman Empire expanded, taking chefs along with them in their exploits, inadvertently spreading the use of the chef hats throughout Europe.

The English and the French

Between this time and 1822, nothing was heard or written about the toque except for a questionable account that was said to have taken place in Henry VIII’s court. The infamous king, with his fondness for beheadings, was said to have executed his head chef after finding a loose strand of hair in his soup. Legend has it that from then on, kitchen employees were made to wear a hat to keep their hair in place. This makes this story one of the first, albeit debatable, to talk about the role of hygiene in the development of modern chef apparel.

Throughout this period, chefs used various types of hats and were said to have worn gray as their unofficial chef uniform to distinguish them from the black-clad monks who had adopted them many centuries past.

It was not until the early decades of the 1800s that French chef Antonin Careme came up with radical suggestions to change and standardize the look of the professional chef uniforms through the publication of a manifesto entitled Le Maitre d’Hotel Francais (1822). In it, Careme indicated the need to give up the various and mostly floppy hats that chefs sported during that era in favor of one that has height (at least eight inches) and stability. He proceeded to rationalize that the height of the hat should indicate the chef’s rank and skillfulness; that the taller the hat, the more highly valuable and high-ranking the chef is.

Careme also was the first to suggest the use of white across professional kitchens to denote, as was the belief of the epoch, perfection and cleanliness, although his design did not take off until much, much later.

The Chef Jacket

Chef Careme is also credited with the creation of the modern double-breasted jacket we know today, as the design appeared on the cover of his manifesto. The cover illustration depicted two chefs, side by side, wearing what we know today as the standard combination of toque, trousers, apron, and the iconic double-breasted jacket. Its design was created for functionality, allowing the chefs to easily cover up unfortunate stains.

Much like Careme’s vision of the tall hat, the jacket-and-trousers combo did not fully take off until the latter parts of the century and inspired the many variations and combinations that we now know today.

Chef Uniforms: Time-Honored Attire Steeped in History

Keep the dignity of chef uniforms alive by making the right choices in chef uniforms with the help of Dust-Tex!

Dust-Tex offers an array of top-quality chef apparel. Our professional chef uniforms come in a quality that can not only best represent your brand but dignify this honorable profession.

Call Dust-Tex today at 808-842-4811 to get started!

The post The History of Chef Uniforms appeared first on Dust Tex.

As a local business that’s been around since the 80s, we know all the best things to do in Oahu during the holiday season. Check out our list of holiday events in Honolulu below!

1. Honolulu City Lights

Honolulu City Lights is a month-long holiday celebration at Honolulu Hale featuring a huge Christmas tree and multiple light and wreath displays. Opening night is December 1st and the event closes on January 1st!

2. Santa Arrives by Canoe at Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort

Santa arrives in Oahu a little differently than in the rest of the world. He trades his sleigh in for a canoe! Watch Santa arrive on December 8th at the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort at 9 a.m., and stay for pictures afterward in the lobby.

3. The Jingle Rock Run

Burn off some of those holiday calories with the Jingle Rock Run! This annual 5k race benefits the Make a Wish foundation, supporting children who have been diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. The race this year is on Sunday, December 16th.

4. Festival of Lights Christmas Boat Parade

Christmas parades – Honolulu style! Watch the Festival of Lights Christmas Boat Parade, enjoy the music and the other live entertainment. Join the fun at the Hawaii Kai Towne Centre on December 15th!

5. Season’s Best Craft Fair

Get all of the vintage Hawaiian holiday decorations you’ll ever need from the Season’s Best Craft Fair from December 14-16. With hundreds of local vendors, you’re guaranteed to discover some unique holiday items!

6. The Honolulu Chorale Annual Holiday Concert: A Joyful Christmas

If you’re in the mood for some holiday music, attend the Honolulu Chorale’s annual holiday concert. They perform popular holiday songs with a diverse cast!

Enjoy the holidays in our hometown!

Happy holidays from Dust-Tex! We hope you enjoy some of these holiday events in Honolulu. And if you’re ever in need of linens and uniforms for your restaurant business, contact us for a free quote.

The post Must-Do Holiday Events in Honolulu appeared first on Dust Tex.

From fires to boiling hot oil to dozens upon dozens of sharp objects, not to mention employees who are fighting against stress and trying to beat the clock on a regular basis, there are a lot of factors to consider. 

These facts alone make commercial kitchen safety crucial.

Of all the hazards that abound in the commercial kitchen, floors remain at the top of the list of the most common causes of accidents. Everything from poorly designed floor plans to obstructions and slippery floors can turn regular kitchen floors into hotbeds for accidents.   
The old adage “prevention is better than cure” cannot get any truer, or more important, than on the topic of kitchen floor safety.

How to Boost Kitchen Floor Safety

With so much that could go wrong with kitchen floors, we have listed some important commercial kitchen safety tips you can apply to your restaurant:

Safety Signs

Standard safety signs for wet and/or greasy floors should be in place as soon as spillage occurs. It’s also a good idea to supplement the warning signs with barricades to make sure that no one steps on the affected areas before they get cleaned up.  

Employee Training

Employees should be well-versed in commercial kitchen safety, including technical know-how of proper cleanup techniques for different types of spills. It’s also important to implement a storage and cleanup system to ensure that everyone knows where every item belongs so there are no obstructions (like loose wires, for example) that could cause tripping or disrupt the flow of the kitchen’s floor plan.

The Right Footwear

The right type of footwear for use in a commercial kitchen is one that not only provides additional ergonomic comfort for the wearer but actually features additional traction as an added layer of protection against slips.

Floor Cleanliness

With spills and debris being the biggest causes of slip, trip, and fall accidents, floor cleanliness is a most crucial element in maintaining commercial kitchen safety. Always have a set of dust and wet mops handy to promptly attend to spills as soon as they occur.

Kitchen Floor Mats

Apart from keeping your floors clean and free from debris and obstructions, your best protection against kitchen floor-related accidents is the right kind of floor mats. There is a wide range of floor mats designed to boost commercial kitchen safety – from mats that prevent grease buildup to mats that are intended to make commercial kitchen work feel a whole lot less strenuous on the lower extremities, thereby helping prevent injuries and long-term health complications associated with working for extended periods while standing.

Improve Commercial Kitchen Safety with Mats and Mops

When it comes to commercial kitchen safety and maintenance, you need more than just a good pair or two of mats and mops. What you truly need is a service partner that will help you keep up with the wear and tear of your mats and mops, and will bring you topnotch-quality mats and mops to help you with the upkeep and safety of your restaurant’s kitchens.

What you truly need is Dust-Tex by your side! We are your top source of high-quality mats and mops designed to help you get the cleanest and safest floors for your commercial kitchens.

You are a single phone call away from improving your commercial kitchen safety. What are you waiting for? Call us today at 808-842-4811 and get started!

The post Kitchen Floor Safety appeared first on Dust Tex.

This all leads to a variety of ingredients that became popular in the area to use in cuisine, including taro, coconut, Polynesian arrowroot, pineapple, and certain spices such as chili pepper. The most common ingredients incorporated into Hawaiian food recipes are the popular fruits of the island. Here, we’ve cultivated a list of refreshing, light meals (and also some delicious, decadent desserts we couldn’t leave out) to bring tourists flocking to your Hawaiian restaurant:

1. Oahu Acai Breakfast Bowl

This recipe is a great addition to your menu if your establishment serves breakfast or brunch, with cooling acai, delicate to the bite with its creamy, ice-cream consistency combined with the satisfying juiciness of chopped fruit.

2. Sunny Hawaiian Smoothie

A simple way to introduce pineapple to your restaurant space is to blend it up into a tropical smoothie! This refreshing beverage may make your restaurant a tourist’s first stop after a long day out on the beach.

3. Hawaiian Quinoa Bowl

This dish has the heartiness you crave after a long day with its black beans and quinoa, but also those refreshing ingredients you desire from being out in the sun with its pineapple, tomatoes and lime.

4. Vegetarian Poke Bowl with Pineapple

Poke in Hawaii is essentially the equivalent of sushi in Japan: it has similar components, is traditional to the region, and is a must for tourists to try during their trip! While poke is traditionally served with raw fish, make your restaurant stand out with this delicious, mouthwatering tofu alternative combined with delicious pineapple and filling avocado.

5. Pineapple Fried Rice

What if after a while during their stay, tourists start craving something a little bit heartier, greasier and saltier? This fried rice will do just the trick while sticking to Hawaiian roots by using coconut oil and pineapple as two of its star ingredients.

6. Hawaiian Coleslaw

If you own a burger joint and are looking for a way to incorporate Hawaiian food recipes into your menu, consider balancing the heaviness of the burger with this crunchy, sweet coleslaw that features a delicious flavor combination of pineapple and cilantro.

7. Hawaiian Fruit Salad

Take your chopped fruit side dish to a whole new level when you combine pineapple with mandarin oranges, strawberries, grapes and coconut mixed together with flavored yogurt and flavored extract, all served right out of a pineapple!

8. Malasadas

As we stated before, Hawaii is actually quite diverse. While this donut has Portuguese roots, it is a staple item in Hawaii that is as delicious as it looks!

9. Hawaiian Butter Mochi

This interesting dessert is another sweet that was brought to Hawaii as a fusion of cultures. When you hear mochi, you may think of frozen Japanese ice cream dumplings, but that is actually just a version of the many different ways mochi can be used. Mochi refers specifically to the marshmallow-like dough you’ll find in mochi desserts. This particular one is served similarly to a pastry and ties in Hawaii’s island roots using coconut milk.

10. Coconut Haupia and Chocolate Pie

Haupia refers to the traditional coconut pudding of Hawaii, which is often used as a topper on desserts. This delicious pudding tastes spectacular atop a luxurious chocolate pie.

Now that you’ve started brainstorming ways to bring tourists into your Hawaiian restaurant, don’t stop at your menu. Make sure your establishment also looks great with high-quality tablecloth, napkin, uniform, towel and mat services! Tourists are coming to you, after all, not just for delicious Hawaiian food but also for the aesthetic.

To learn more about high-quality textile services in Hawaii, contact us at Dust-Tex at 808-842-4811.

The post Attract Tourists with These 10 Tasty Hawaiian Food Recipes appeared first on Dust Tex.

An integral part of the non-food aspect of running a successful restaurant is, of course, your choice of restaurant table linens.

Table linens not only contribute to the look of each individual table, but they also form a part of the whole aesthetic appeal of the restaurant, adding to its flair and character on top of providing an essential layer of protection for the furniture.

Things to Consider when Choosing the Right Restaurant Table Linens

When it comes to picking your restaurant table linens, there are a few important points to consider:

Size – The size of the table is, of course, a primary consideration when choosing your restaurant table linens. Too small and your restaurant just looks undone and unsightly. Too large and you’re just running the risk of trip-and-fall accidents. Check out this handy tablecloth sizing guide. For accuracy, consult with a table linen expert on how to get the perfect size for your tables.

Shape – Aside from the size, your tablecloth shape should match the shape of your table to create a clean, seamless, put-together appearance.  

Fabric – In picking the fabric of your restaurant table linens, consider a number of different factors including the type of food you serve, your furniture material, the color and design scheme of your interiors, etc.

Accessories – Different types of restaurants accessorize their restaurant table linens differently. Some restaurant themes require a full, matching set of runners, napkins, and placemats, while others require just one or two add-ons. For instance, the more formal dining settings require matching fabric table covers and accessories, while the more casual ones have no need for runners and placemats and stick to napkins in complementary colors and a simple centerpiece.

Maintenance Requirements – As with all other kinds of restaurant linens, tablecloths vary in material and maintenance requirements. So, it’s important to know what your restaurant table linen of choice requires in terms of maintenance, and decide whether or not it is something you are willing to put up with.

The Best Restaurant Table Linens for Your Restaurant

The most important factor in picking your restaurant linens is quality. Imagine losing customer review stars because your table linens are of poor quality or are poorly maintained! In choosing your restaurant table linens and their accessories, make sure to pick ones that reflect the quality of service and food that you serve, and that they are maintained to a level of cleanliness that you can be proud of.

For this, and all your linen maintenance concerns, there’s always Dust-Tex! Dust-Tex offers a wide range of topnotch quality restaurant table linens, available in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes to suit your restaurant’s most unique needs.

We have been in the business of delivering exceptional restaurant linen services for over fifty years, and it goes without saying that we know more than a thing or two about restaurant table linens.

What are you waiting for?

Explore your restaurant table linen options today with Dust-Tex! Call us at (800) 456-0112 to speak with our expert linen consultants or to get a free quote!

The post Choosing the Right Restaurant Table Linens appeared first on Dust Tex.

Often dismissed as the lesser of the five major senses, the olfactory sense packs a lot of power and influence on memory, mood, and emotion. Aside from that, the sense of smell is also a powerful tool in how we find food. A recent study found that certain receptors in the brain enhance our sense of smell when we are hungry. In the modern day, this appetite-smell connection is what drives scent marketing for restaurants – the scientific art of enticing the sense of smell to attract diners for your food business. This is the same concept behind the wafting vanilla scent all over Disneyland – it smells too delicious and sends park goers to the nearest snack bar or kiosk.

And if you are not cashing in on this highly effective tool properly – if at all – you may be losing to lesser competitors who know how to turn amazing restaurant scents into actual customers.

Scent Marketing Tips

Like any other marketing device, scent marketing is strategic. It’s not just mixing together different types of “good scents” to lead people in. We’ve got some great tips on marketing with restaurant scents that you can try out in your own business:

1. Match the scents with your food. You cannot expect people to want to eat burgers when your place reeks of cinnamon or lavender. Go for the smell of smoked hickory wood to engage that primal, carnivorous desire to eat flame-grilled meats. Or bust out the smell of basil and garlic when you’re trying to sell pizza and pasta. The key is to get as close as possible to the smell of your food.

2. Have a signature smell. The olfactory sense is a powerful memory keeper – it has the power to remind us of things that the brain may have forgotten. Have a delicious smell that your customers and diners can easily associate with your brand/food.

3. Do not overdo the smell. As with anything, the key to effective scent marketing for restaurants is balance. Too little smell and it goes unnoticed. Too much and it gets overwhelming and may get gross, averting the palate to less overwhelming things. Your goal is to tease and to entice, not to assault your potential customers with a barrage of smells.

Dust-Tex Air Fresheners and Mop Service

When it comes to keeping your restaurant smelling clean and appetizing, take extra measures when it comes to your cleaning processes and odor control for your restrooms and floors:

1. Keep your toilets clean and deodorized. There is no bigger turn-off for any restaurant guest than the stench of an overused toilet. Keep your toilets clean at all times so the stench never hovers in the air or mixes with your good restaurant scents. At the same time, find restroom air freshener scents that will not clash with the smell you’re going for with your scent marketing efforts.

2. Use clean mops and rags. It’s a fault in many restaurants to overdo the use of scented disinfectants and cleansing agents. And as with anything, it deters the diner from the appetizing scent of food. Other restaurants neglect the cleanliness and hygiene of the mops they use, leaving a rancid, unpleasant smell to linger long after the floors are mopped. Make sure to invest in a proper mop service to ensure your mops are always clean and devoid of smelly bacteria.

Get the best and most convenient facility and maintenance services from Dust-Tex! We offer a range of air fresheners to keep every nook and cranny of your business space smelling and looking clean!

Contact us today at (800) 456-0112 or leave us a message to learn more about how we can help you make sure your restaurant smells amazing and appetizing!  

The post How to Make Sure Your Restaurant Smells Amazing appeared first on Dust Tex.

Well, because you will have to worry about it again.

Purchasing your own uniforms comes with a host of issues that become apparent over time. So before you jump to buying uniforms for your entire staff, take a look at some of the benefits of restaurant uniform rental:

1. Your employees will look great at all times.

When you rent your uniforms from a company like Dust-Tex, you get fresh and professionally-laundered restaurant apparel delivered for your employees each week. You won’t have to depend on your employees to keep their uniforms looking good. Instead, you can depend on a company whose entire business and reputation is staked on making sure that your employees have clean and attractive uniforms for every shift.

2. Replacements and repairs are so easy.

With frequent employee overturn, procuring new uniforms in the right size every time your staff changes can be a hassle. Additionally, the rigorous work of food preparation and service can be hard on uniforms. You may be dealing with burn marks, stains, tears and more on a weekly basis. A restaurant uniform rental makes all of these problems go away. We can refresh your inventory with the correct size and number of uniforms.

3. You won’t have to purchase industrial laundering equipment.

If your other option is to launder your uniforms in-house, along with other restaurant linens like tablecloths, napkins and towels, you’ll need to purchase expensive industrial laundry equipment to handle your linen volume. Not only will this require substantial funds, but it will also take up a good amount of space in your facility.

4. You’ll save yourself and your employees lots of time.

Whether you’re laundering your uniforms in-house or requiring your employees to launder them at home, proper laundering takes time. You can either trust your employees not to take shortcuts when it comes to their uniform laundry, invest time and money into in-house laundering, training and staffing, or let a commercial uniform service take care of laundering for you.

5. Your business will be more hygienic.

Every day, it seems that another restaurant is rocked with some kind of health scandal. Stay out of the news with restaurant uniform rental! Improperly-cleaned uniforms can harbor dangerous bacteria and germs that can transfer to food and other items and surfaces in your restaurant. Working with a professional laundry service will get your uniforms truly rid of all dangerous substances and bacteria.

6. Your uniforms will last longer.

If you’re providing uniforms for your employees to launder on their own, chances are they won’t put the same care into maintaining the quality of a garment as a restaurant uniform rental company would. After all, the restaurant uniform rental company owns the uniforms, so they have an interest in laundering and maintaining your uniforms to preserve their integrity.

Restaurant Uniform Rental from Dust-Tex

We can outfit your staff in the best with our restaurant uniforms and aprons! Choose from our selection of chef uniforms, cook uniforms, bib aprons, bistro aprons and waist aprons to create the perfect look for your restaurant! Contact us today for more information about our restaurant uniform rental services in Oahu.

The post The 6 Benefits of Restaurant Uniform Rental appeared first on Dust Tex.