The Company that Revolutionized Culinary Apparel

The Chicago based Chefwear® began simply as a necessity for pastry chef Rochelle Huppin and quickly revolutionized the way chefs and restaurateurs dress.

Rochelle first experienced the then standard black and white checked polyester culinary uniforms in the mid-80’s as a student of the Culinary Institute of America. The stiff, uncomfortable and unattractive pants prompted her to design and sew her own uniform out of brightly colored 100% cotton fabric.

While working as a pastry chef for Wolfgang Puck several years later, Rochelle shared her pant innovation with other chefs on staff. During a “Wolfgang Puck Meals on Wheels” charity event in Los Angeles she gave out her Chefwear pants to several successful chefs in attendance, including Puck himself. The word spread quickly and Rochelle received call after call for her unique “baggy-cut” pants. It immediately became apparent that the entire culinary industry needed a comfortable and fashionable alternative to the standard uniform.

Rochelle Huppin retired from the professional kitchen in 1991 to dedicate all of her time to Chefwear. Since the company's inception she has served as the President and Gary Fleck as the Chief Executive Officer .

Chefwear now offers a full line of culinary apparel designed to meet the needs of the restaurant and hospitality industry, as well as the avid recreational cook. In addition to expertly designed pants and jackets, Chefwear’s innovative products include shirts, shorts, aprons, shoes, hats, Pint Size Duds and a variety of accessories.

Not only is Chefwear recognized as an innovative provider of culinary apparel, but also for its active role in giving back to the community and sharing its success. Several custom patterns have been developed to benefit a diverse selection of charities with a portion of their sales. The S.O.S. pattern provides relief to Share Our Strength, one of the country’s leading anti-hunger organizations. Also, the 9/11 Relief Fund receives a portion of the proceeds of Chefwear’s Stars and Stripes pattern and the Tribal Spirit pattern benefits the Trust Fund memorializing New York Chef Patrick Clark.

The most recent additions to Chefwear’s products with a purpose is a whole line of “Awareness” products that benefits the Lauder Breast Cancer Research Foundation, an organization that is changing the way groundbreaking breast cancer treatment is delivered to women. The Awareness line includes chef jackets embroidered with a pink ribbon on each cuff, and pants and hats constructed of pink and black chalkstripe or pink and black houndstooth fabric.

Chefwear has evolved into a thriving business by continually meeting the apparel demands of the restaurant and hospitality industry. Chefwear’s headquarters and retail outlet store are located at 3111 North Knox Avenue in Chicago and offers customers knowledgeable and friendly service along with the best in culinary outfitting. As long as there is a need for innovative and quality chef apparel, Chefwear will lead the industry and expand its product lines to support the ever-changing culinary community.

Contact:

Carol Mueller (Director of Marketing)
Email: cmueller@chefwear.com

Telephone (US Only): (800) 568-2433
Telephone (International): (773) 427-6737
Fax: (773) 427-6710