Freehand Hospitality Case Study

Drift 

Halifax, Canada  

A culinary love letter to Nova Scotia’s land, people and history, Drift features modern, elevated takes on classic Atlantic Canadian dishes. Evoking a one-of-a-kind sense of place, Drift is thoughtfully designed for entertaining colleagues or quiet work at the spacious bar. Unwind on the patio with a morning coffee and stunning views of the ocean and iconic Tidal Beacon art installation, or enjoy an evening tucked in by the fire with a Nova Scotia vintage.  

Drift is located on the main level of the newly built Muir Hotel, which is situated at the centre of Halifax’s new Queen’s Marque district, a new urban neighbourhood and culinary destination in downtown Halifax. Established along the vibrant Halifax Waterfront and owning a strong connection to time and place, Drift pays homage to this region’s land, people and history. Celebrating our natural abundance, Drift’s culinary vision is to showcase the East Coast’s most beloved ingredients stemming from a vibrant community of artisans, producers, farmers and fishers. 

Kloth Studio X Drift  

“Drift was designed to be an expression of Nova Scotia cuisine and really bring that modern style to the culture that has been embedded in one of Canada’s oldest cities.”  

– Joel Kaastra (General Manager of Drift) 

 At Kloth Studio, our team is dedicated to incorporating unique cultures in our uniform designs. Since Drift is a culinary love letter to Nova Scotia’s land, people and history, it was essential that the staff uniforms reflected Nova Scotian culture. To accomplish this, a unique pattern, the Drift modern tartan pattern, was integrated into the uniforms. The Drift modern tartan pattern is a contemporary expression of Nova Scotian tradition featuring geometric shapes and muted tones.  

“Working with Kloth Studio has been amazing. The customizable nature of the uniforms made it a no-brainer to work with Kloth. The turn-around times and flexibility were great, and prices have been amazing as well.”  

– Marco Gucciardi (Director of Restaurant Operations at Freehand Hospitality and Oliver & Bonacini Hospitality) 

For the female server look, we designed a white and blue microstripe long sleeve button-down shirt with ruffled stand collar/placket details and an interior contrast collar featuring the Drift modern tartan pattern. This shirt is paired with a grey cotton twill bistro apron with white contrast straps and the Drift modern tartan pattern printed on the reverse side of the apron. The female server assistants, male servers, and male server assistants are dressed in a similar white and blue microstripe long sleeve button-down shirt, but with a buttoned semi-spread collar. These shirts also included the interior contrast collar detail that showcases the Drift modern tartan pattern.  

The bartenders wear the same white and blue microstripe long sleeve button-down shirt with semi-spread collar, but they complete the uniform with either a classic 4-button brown tweed vest or a grey cotton twill bib apron with white contrast straps and tartan pattern printed on the reverse side of the apron. For the hostesses, we designed a tan cable knit cropped cardigan that pairs with a blue wrap dress.  

The Drift Order:

• White / Blue Microstripe Shirt with Ruffled Details and Interior Contrast Collar
• Whte / Blue Microstripe Shirt with Semi-Spread Contrast Collar
• Grey Bistro Aprons with Contrast Straps and Printed Pattern
• Grey Bib Aprons with Contrast Straps and Printed Pattern
• Brown Tweed Vests
• Tan Cable Knit Cardigans
• Blue Wrap Dresses 

Bar Sofia

Halifax, Canada

Showcasing the vibrant essence of Latin cooking, Bar Sofia is a paradise for shared plates, bright flavours and colourful cocktails. Led by celebrated Chef Anthony Walsh, Bar Sofia playfully nods to his family's Argentinian heritage as well as the next generation of food lovers, artists and adventurers.

Located in the Queen's Marque district which houses a multi-million-dollar public art collection and is the epicentre of Halifax's emerging culinary movement, Bar Sofia is a place for food lovers, artists, and adventurers. As you step inside bar Sofia, you're greeted with a mix of classic elegance, fresh Latin energy and the fantastical and surrealist artwork of Rafael Silveira. Infused with a riot of rich colour and greenery, the space transports you to a raucous bohemian barrio full of pop-up art galleries, late-night bars and street murals.

Kloth Studio x Bar Sofia

"All our uniforms are actually created by Kloth. They have done a fantastic job with creating the uniforms that we are using for our staff." 

- Gabriel Buhnila (General Manager of Bar Sofia)

Here at Kloth Studio, we love incorporating unique artwork and print patterns into our uniforms. To match the vibrant, artistic space at Bar Sofia, we created 4 variations of custom t-shirts with front and back graphic prints for all the Bar Sofia servers. Through our collaborative design process, our Kloth Studio team worked with the marketing department at Bar Sofia to incorporate their unique Latin-America inspired artwork.

Continuing the bright and vivid theme, we designed and created 4 variations of custom printed button-down shirts for the bar staff. These shirts include 4 different print patterns inspired by tropical and paradise theme and motifs.

The Bar Sofia Order:

• Custom Printed T-Shirts (4 different colourways)
• Custom Printed Shirts (4 different print patterns)

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Café Lunette

Halifax, Canada

Café by day, bistro by night, this Parisian-inspired eatery plays host to morning coffee and viennoiserie breezy business lunches, weeknight rendez-vous, lazy Sunday brunches, late-night fondue and everything in between. Executed by Chef de Cuisine Vanessa Belanger, their menus feature a greatest hits list of timeless French classics - from traditional onion soup and steak tartare, to comforting boeuf Bourguignon and seafood bouillabaisse. On weekends, they invite you to rise and shine for a rich variety of pastries, crêpes, galettes and breakfast sandwiches.

Kloth Studio X Café Lunette

"Kloth Studio made our bar jackets for behind the bar for our café side along with our late-night drink menu."

- Mitchell Henrichs (General Manager of Café Lunette)

For the server look, we created a red cotton twill bib apron with mustard yellow contrast straps and brass hardware. For the daytime barista and evening bartender uniform, we dressed the staff in a red chore coat with 3 large patch pockets to hold all their tools needed to craft delicious drinks.

The Café Lunette Order:

• Red Chore Coats
• Red Bib Aprons with Contrast Straps and Brass Hardware

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