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Medium Rare Chef’s hand-sewn coats sparked a ‘quirky’ apparel business that caters to youthful cooks

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Small Business Owners (from left) Andrew Dallman and Cam Dobranski with their Medium Rare Chef Apparel in Calgary, Alberta.LAURA LEYSHON/The Globe and Mail

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Eschewing the traditional, clinical-looking kitchen whites, he went for “quirky,” he said. “People would say, ‘Oh, that’s kind of cool. Can you make me one?’”LAURA LEYSHON/The Globe and Mail

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Based essentially on word of mouth, orders snowballed as restaurateurs and kitchen staffers saw their work ethos and tastes reflected in Medium Rare’s garments. “It’s about image,” said Mr. Dobranski. “I’m not going after the Thomas Kellers,” he added, referring to the famous French Laundry chef. “I’m going after the guys who are ground level, who are working their asses off, and who will be somebody, some day.”LAURA LEYSHON/The Globe and Mail

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With orders coming in from across Canada, as well as Germany, Australia and New York, sales have tripled in the past year. “People google us, looking for chef’s clothes,” he said. “There’s nothing in the market that’s like what we’re doing. I think, in the next 12 months, it’s going to triple again.”LAURA LEYSHON/The Globe and Mail

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Moving into a physical retail space is an option for the company. “Going to some of those boutique retailers that could be aligned with what the brand stands for, and getting consignment space,” said Mr. Minakakis, would allow the company to see how well their products do on a retail level, without a big investment.LAURA LEYSHON/The Globe and Mail

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Medium Rare’s hat selection includes: Chef De Cuisine, Front Fold Beanie and Vented Front Fold Beanie.

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