Restaurant Aprons and What Bear Grips Pro Shops Makes Instead

Bear Grips Pro Shops does not produce restaurant aprons. We are honest about this upfront. We produce the branded layer that goes under the apron: cotton tees, polos, long sleeves, and hats. The apron itself comes from a uniform supplier. The visible brand identity sits on our pieces (the chest, the cap), with the apron as the operational layer over the top. Below is the breakdown of what we make and how it pairs with an apron sourced separately.

Why We Do Not Make Aprons

Restaurant aprons are a specialty garment. The construction includes heavy canvas or twill, pockets, adjustable straps or ties, and reinforced stress points. Apron makers focus on this specific product category. Bear Grips Pro Shops focuses on the standard catalog garments (tees, polos, hoodies, hats) with printed or embroidered logos. The two product categories require different production capabilities. We do one well and leave the other to the apron specialists.

What We Make That Pairs Cleanly Under an Apron

• Branded staff tee. The Bear Grips Airlume Cotton Athletic Tee or the Bella+Canvas womens favorite tee. The standard layer under a half-apron or bib apron.
• Branded staff polo. The Sport-Tek mens performance polo or Gildan premium cotton pique polo. The slightly more elevated layer under a slim apron or no apron.
• Branded long sleeve. The Sport-Tek moisture wicking long sleeve. The cool-month layer under a bib apron.
• Branded cap or beanie. The Yupoong adjustable cotton lifestyle hat. The hair containment piece worn with any apron.

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Where the Brand Identity Sits

With the apron as the operational layer over the top, the visible brand identity sits on:

• The left chest of the tee or polo (visible above the apron bib or to the side of a half-apron)
• The cap or beanie
• The sleeve of the tee, polo, or long sleeve

For restaurants that want the brand identity on the apron itself, the apron supplier handles that print or embroidery separately. The Pro Shops layer underneath stays consistent.

How to Source the Apron Separately

Two paths most fast casual restaurants take:

• Local uniform supplier: A regional uniform shop that handles aprons, chef coats, and pants. Often the supplier the restaurant already uses for pants and shoes.
• Online apron specialist: A national online apron company that produces blank or branded aprons with embroidery or screen printing options.

Either path works. The apron arrives separately from the Pro Shops branded layer. The staff wears both on shift and the brand reads consistent.

A Bundle Workflow for Fast Casual Operators

The cleanest operator workflow: the restaurant runs the branded apparel store on Bear Grips Pro Shops for the tee, polo, long sleeve, and cap. The restaurant places a quarterly bulk order of plain or single-color branded aprons from the apron supplier (aprons last longer per piece than tees and bulk ordering works fine for them). Staff pulls a clean apron from the back-of-house apron shelf at the start of each shift. The branded tee or polo is the staff personal piece, worn through the shift, kept clean.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Bear Grips Pro Shops make restaurant aprons?

No. The platform does not produce aprons. We produce the branded layer under the apron: cotton tees, polos, long sleeves, and hats. Most fast casual restaurants source aprons from a uniform supplier and use Pro Shops for the branded layer underneath.

Can we use Pro Shops branded apparel even though we source aprons elsewhere?

Yes. The two product categories work in parallel. The Pro Shops branded layer (tee, polo, long sleeve, cap) covers the brand-visible side. The apron supplier covers the operational layer. The combined uniform reads consistent without either vendor coordinating.

Where does the restaurant logo sit if the apron covers most of the tee?

The standard placement is the left chest of the tee or polo, which sits above the apron bib or to the side of a half-apron and stays visible. The cap or beanie carries the second brand touchpoint. For maximum brand visibility, add the logo on the apron itself through the apron supplier.

Is it cheaper to source aprons separately or to bundle them with the tee order?

Sourcing aprons separately from an apron specialist is typically cheaper per apron than asking a tee supplier to also produce aprons. Aprons last longer per piece than tees, so the bulk order for aprons makes operational sense. The Pro Shops storefront keeps the tee and polo orders on-demand without inventory.