Wait, Corner 75 Staff Wear Song for the Mute?

When the new owners of Corner 75 took over, they were reluctant to change much about the beloved Hungarian restaurant. Over the decades, the Sydney institution built up a reputation for no-frills, hearty food courtesy of cherished owner-operator Paul Varga. And even before its relaunch, loyal regulars were quick and unrestrained with feedback.

“Please keep the menu the EXACT same and don’t change the prices. The chicken schnitzel to come with two pieces and a side of potatoes as salad. Langos must stay. Interior decoration must stay,” one Instagram commenter said. “May I say, you are also very brave people!” another added.

Local ephemera, Hungarian knick-knacks and framed customer photos still line Corner 75’s walls. Schnitzel is, obviously, still on the menu. While custodians Dan Puskas of Sixpenny and Jean-Paul El Tom and Alex Kelly of Baba’s Place haven’t messed with the restaurant’s interior decor and menu, the trio were able to flex their creative control in a different realm: fashion.

More specifically, Corner 75’s new front-of-house uniforms. Kelly tells Broadsheet that staff uniforms were one of the first factors the team, alongside Zaal Kaboli, the creative director of Baba’s Place, addressed at the beginning of their preservation project. It was “an opportunity to [pay] homage [to] Paul, his journey and ours ahead of us,” Kelly and Kaboli say via email. “We often turn to fashion brands for inspiration in our projects, so this was a perfect opportunity to take it down a more literal path.”

They knew what they wanted. “Right from the get-go, the direction was inspired by Paul … Further baggy shirt-based research then led us down a Notting Hill era Hugh Grant look. We centred on our phrase: ’90s inspired owner-operator dishevelled Euro-suave.”

Corner 75 tapped “friends and long-time admirers” to reimagine its front-of-house uniform. Fellow Sydney creatives Melvin Tanaya and Lyna Ty, the founders of fashion label Song for the Mute, were tasked with designing and making the work gear.

“Baba’s [Place] feels like family to us and we’ve always wanted to collaborate on something special. Contributing to this project has been truly meaningful,” Tanaya and Ty tell Broadsheet via email. The pair, whose award-winning fashion label’s tagline is “a long-form story,” know the importance of narrative.

Kelly and Kaboli say they’ve been wanting to bring together the hospitality and fashion industries for ages. “All creative industries cross over somewhere or at least should … Fashion brands are up there with music and art for our inspiration sources.”

Corner 75’s new uniform of pastel long-sleeve, button-up box shirts with classic straight collars and chest-patch pockets paired with dark burgundy pants wouldn’t be amiss hanging in one of Song for the Mute’s stores. But instead, they adorn staff traversing from Corner 75’s kitchen to the main restaurant floor, schlepping plates to eager diners.

“Rather than creating something entirely new, we leaned into our signature silhouettes – already familiar to Baba’s Place – elevating them through our expertise in premium fabrication,” Tanaya and Ty say. “More than just practical uniforms, this was about refining the essence of each collaborator, ensuring a seamless union of vision and craftsmanship.”

Kelly and Kaboli say the pieces are fit for hospo life, despite their pleasing aesthetic. The shirts are breathable, durable and easily maintained. Plus, there’s room for all the essentials. “We wanted a big pocket for note pads, ciggies and pens.”

The uniforms have been crafted from Song for the Mute deadstock fabric “which really honours that deep ethnic desire to not let anything go to waste,” according to Kelly and Kaboli. “This approach reflects the soul of the restaurant: constant but ever-changing and building on what has been before. Nothing good is perfect right away; things change and things improve.”