PROJECT MISE EN PLACE
Lucia is a Mediterranean restaurant that has made every detail of the dining experience something special.
The custom-made artwork covering the walls, over a thousand wines sitting in the vault, the hand-cut leather encased menus, the caviar service, and the matchboxes for diners to take home.
It’s hard not to be delighted by Lucia’s consideration at every touch point.
Despite these lavish details, the concept was to bring neighbourhood dining to Melbourne’s inner city. For the Lucia team who boast three restaurants in the suburbs, this entirely comes down to service characterised by the “old-school” values: personable, intimate and attentive.
That’s why the ultimate detail in Lucia’s venue makes the front-of-house staff the stars of the show: the custom service jackets.
This is a restaurant that’s all about the little details… the custom-made jackets for the waiters, inspired by those in Venice (only a little more relaxed), are the winner.
- Emma Breheny, Good Food
PROCESS NOTES
This project fired up when a group of people visited the Worktones showroom looking to discuss uniform options for their new restaurant opening.
That was the extent of the brief. For confidentiality reasons, Worktones were given limited information on the brand, location and venue. Not even the name of the restaurant.
This made the ideation and consultation process rather unusual for Worktones, but the Lucia team were highly collaborative and helped narrow down a direction.
“We chose Worktones because we were very impressed with the quality and design of the uniforms at Mimi’s Sydney, and we were super happy with the service we received from Sarah from day one.”
- Vivian Randazzo, Lucia Marketing Director
ORDER UP
Lucia landed with the custom service jacket in a natural colour, paired with Worktones ready-to-wear Nice Pants in dark navy and white t-shirts for front-of-house. The kitchen team also received custom aprons with embroidery.
Shortly after Lucia’s opening, Worktones did a photoshoot of the uniforms in the restaurant. The images of the jacket have since become one of the most popular jumping-off points for other venues looking to create something as distinctive and memorable.
“For such a well-thought-out venue, creating a jacket that fits seamlessly into the space was a smart move. I think that’s why people often reference photos of Lucia as inspiration, you can see the consideration in the every detail.”
- Sarah Mulholland,
Worktones Account & Brand Manager
THE REVIEW
“The whole process of working with Worktones from start to end was seamless and very efficient. We had such a positive experience across all aspects of the process and the final result was even better than expected. Would not hesitate to do it all over again. The staff love the uniform, not only because they love the style and look of it, it’s comfortable, easy to wear and look after. The public have also responded positively - we’ve received so many comments and compliments.”
- Vivian Randazzo, Lucia Marketing Director
