WORKFORCE
EUREST UPDATES ITS UNIFORMS WITH AN EYE TOWARD INCLUSIVITY
THE COMPASS-OWNED WORKPLACE FOODSERVICE PROVIDER EXPANDED ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH WOMAN-OWNED NEWCHEF FASHION ON A LINE OF REIMAGINED CHEF COATS, APRONS AND MORE.
W ith nearly 18,000 frontline employees at about 1,700 marketplaces across the U.S., Eurest focuses on feeding workers at com- panies large and small. But Eurest, a division of Compass Group, knows well the importance of looking good when it comes to per- forming one’s best and taking pride in that critical mission. For the last 15 years, the on-site food- service provider has partnered with Los Angeles-based Newchef Fashion, a woman-owned uniform manufacturer. Recently, though, Eurest revamped its uniform program with Newchef for greater inclusivity, flexibility and the sometimes hard-to-quantify benefits of looking and feeling one’s best. “This is a new era and a new chap- ter in our relationship,” said Eurest Chief Culinary Officer Chef Chris Iv- ens-Brown. “What we give our associ- ates to wear is so important for them to feel good about themselves. They fit well. They feel good. When they’re feeling good and looking good, then they’re going to perform better.” That means chef coats tailored to the female body, rather than a one-size- fits-all approach. The updated attire of- fers a modern fit, with mesh panels on the side for enhanced flexibility. “When a female chef puts on her coat, it symbolizes more than attire—it represents empowerment, designed by and for women,” Natacha Jacque, Eur- est’s senior director of diversity, equity BY HEATHER LALLEY
and inclusion, said in a statement. Eurest workers will also be able to wear aprons with interchangeable col- or straps, to celebrate cultural holidays, special months and other observances. “We have a lot of celebrations throughout the year,” Ivens-Brown said. “Black History Month, Pride, breast cancer awareness month … We just thought this was a good opportu- nity to bring to life a celebration, and then they change the straps out on their aprons to celebrate that particular day or month. It’s not like a pin or a badge, which can fall off [in food].” For baristas, a growing part of Eu- rest’s business, reimagined uniforms
are more in line with modern styles, giving those who work the coffee bars the opportunity to select from a vari- ety of fabric weights. Newchef updated Eurest’s ma- ternity chef coats with lighter fabrics and venting for improved comfort. And the new dietitian jackets are now made with sustainable hemp. The updated designs are backed by research that considered not only functionality but fashion, Iv- ens-Brown said. “We did a lot more research into what people wanted to wear and what was being worn and what was on trend,” he said.
Eurest is relaunching its uniform program with Newchef, with an eye toward inclusivity.
FSD QUARTERLY
Q3 2024
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PHOTO COURTESY OF EUREST
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