To Dirndl or Not To Dirndl?
Posted by Kirsten Henri on November 18th, 2008
Between Barack and baseball (and our trip to Seattle) we let a few things slip through the cracks in the past month, one of which was a request from Doug Hager and Kelly Schmitz, proprietors of the hopefully-open-by-Beer-Week-German-beer-bar Brauhaus Schmitz which now has an official website if you want to check it out or sign up for a mailing list.
Doug and Kelly would like to know what the Foobooz readers think about the issue of uniforms for their staff. Per Doug:
Kelly and I go back and forth regarding staff uniforms. I think the waitresses should wear Dirndls and she thinks it is too much ‘kitsch’. we would love to hear what the public has to say.
Loading ...Brauhaus Schmitz [Official Site]
Related Tags: Brauhaus Schmitz, German, South-Street
November 18th, 2008 at 11:47 am
Dirndl’s are hot… but guys in lederhosen, not so much.
November 18th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
i say go for the germans from sprockets: http://cdn-www.answerbag.com/images/answers/195219/661230/tmb_dieter.jpg
or the nihilists from Big Lebowski.
more seriously–i vote no. maybe a special dirndl night or something. but not every day.
November 18th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Dirndls aren’t a costume. The beer matrons actually wear them in Deutschland in almost all major beer halls. It’s more about tradition with the Germans than it is about tourism and authenticity. They actually wear tham at home, too. Having a mother who is off-the-boat imparted this knowledge to the beer guzzling brood at a young age.
I think it depends on the image the Brauhaus is trying to convey. if they’re going full-on traditionalist (red aprons at La Minette is a good example), it’s not so much a detail as it is a requirement. If this is homage only, then it’s not so important.
Lederhosen are so not hot, for sure.
November 18th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
I agree with Collin, with the additional qualifier that they should be using “dirndls” instead of the airport gift shop types you usually find in American “Germanic” beer promotion. The problem there is the cost of maintaining a uniform inventory gets prohibitive.
This would be hard to pull off with the current timeline, but maybe work out an exchange with a hospitality school in Germany where students (presumably with their own dirndl investment) could “study abroad” for exposure to the American food and drink industry. This isn’t that insane, there’s an English pub in Rochester, NY that’s been doing it with a UK school for I think a decade now. It would require a lot negotiation and Visa working so probably wouldn’t be implementable by the time the place opens though.
Maybe just “dirndls and Tyrolean hats welcome?”
November 18th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
actually there is a store about 2hours from Philadelphia (Ernst Licht) that sells authentic Dirndl’s and Lederhosen. They aren’t cheap though.
November 18th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
i’m all for the dirndls. i wanted to get one for my girl but the good ones are expensive. i think it all goes back to European vacation…
November 18th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Hey Doug its your neighbor. I agree with Kelly on this one. Its a good idea maybe for fest weeks but for everyday its just too much.
November 18th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Heather…It would most likely be Dirndl or no Dirndl…. it is too much of an investment to have multiple uniforms…
November 18th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
A great German restaurant about an hour from here on Route 10 called ‘The Alpenhof’ in Reading has an entire giftshop where you can buy authentic Dirndl’s and Lederhosen.
The food is quality, but not as great as it once was. The old Chef was this raging alcoholic that made amazing Weiner Schnitzel.I miss him. But the family who owns the joint, The Gauby’s, are straight from the motherland. Good people.
November 18th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
odd…i posted but it disappeared. It even had fun graphics of the nihilists from Big Lebowski and Dieter from Sprockets.
I’m somewhat anti-dirndl. while it may be authentic to wear one, it won’t appear that way in the US to 75% of the consumers (to pick a number randomly). To me, its weird seeing someone without a German background or even accent wearing a dirndl. A philly accent and a dirndl just seems strange.
November 18th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
ahh…my comment was/is awaiting moderation. heh.
November 18th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
Don’t get me wrong - I am all about the dirndl for oktoberfest events, etc. But I just don’t know how I feel about wearing a dirndl while changing a keg. Sure, they’re cute, but a little impractical. I would also be interested in how this vote would break down male vs. female.
November 18th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Ok, honestly…they may be “authentic” for the theme of the restaurant, BUT they are not the most comfortable thing to wear and I would definitely turn down a job if it was a requirement to wear that thing to work 6 days a week. You want your employees to be of the best quality and well I think you would lose out on some good servers/bartenders. Sorry Doug, you will lose this one eventually.
November 18th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
I think that for special occasions it would be fun and keep with the festive feeling — i.e. Oktoberfest; however, from a practical point of view, I think that expecting the waitresses to work a full shift regularly in a confining and would be unfair. Also, from the owner’s perspective — providing female employees with their own personal dirndl would be financially prohibitive and impractical and forget the dry-cleaning bill — do they make lace-up versions so that they can expand or contract depending on wearer for the special occasions?
November 19th, 2008 at 12:41 am
Dirndls? ABSOLUTELY! It would definitely add to the atmosphere. The waitresses in Germany all wear them! Just got back from a wonderful European vacation!
November 19th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
maybe just for special events!
November 19th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Girls only, in low,low low cut dirndls.
November 19th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
I would love to do it for just special occassions, but then it’s just not worth the cost. Dirndls run anywhere between $150-$200 (quality dirndls - not the chintzy halloween costume variety)
So we’re stuck with it being all or nothing - and by the looks of this survey - it looks like it might be all!
November 20th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
If your serious about being a German restaurant and Brauhaus, the Dirdls and Lederhosen are a must.
As for Sarah, if you are not comfortable in a dress then you won’t be comfortable in a dirdl. Otherwise, a dirdl in no less comfortable than a regular skirt or dress. And, quality employees committed to providing outstanding service in a german restaurant will understand the dress code.
If you’re going to call yourself a german restaurant, do as the germans do! Otherwise, SCHMITZ’S WANNA BE BRAUHAUS would be the more appropriate name.
November 21st, 2008 at 4:21 pm
If you judge a bar’s authenticity soley by the staff wardrobe, then you’re there for the wrong reasons….
Good food, great beer, comfortable atmosphere? These are reasons to go to a German bar on South Street Philly. Drindl’s & Lederhosen? Reasons to go to Epcot Center.
All the ‘purists’ can send me a postcard with Mickey Mouse on it. I’ll be at Brauhuas Schmitz enjoying a Kolsch.
November 22nd, 2008 at 1:52 pm
If you are reaching for authenticity, you should go for the dirndls,at least at first. If later on, after you have people waiting in line to get in, then maybe you can try phasing them out and see if it has any negative effect. Should be limited to food servers, not bartenders.
No lederhosen except, perhaps, if you have a full time head waiter (male).