How it all began

The original Smart Apron was invented by Kevin Hoy, as he found when waiting tables and serving many customers at the same time, the traditional apron was more of a hindrance than helpful, so he wanted to create a multi-functional and durable work apron that had plenty pockets, special features to hold essential items and didn’t use apron strings. Therefore, Kevin took an old fanny pack, cut out the bottom, hand sewn on two zippered pockets and tested it out during several shifts, and found it saved him lots of time, kept his main work items at this fingertips and was always ready for use.

Lessons Learned & A Long Pause

During the next few years, Kevin and original business partner, Hans Schramm, worked diligently in improving the waist design, and eventually adding the Bib style Smart Apron. The product line become moderately successful, as Smart Aprons began to sell nationwide. Unfortunately, due to poor manufacturing quality, Smart Apron paused its operations until a new manufacturer could be located that could produce Smart Aprons to their exacting design specifications and high-quality standards.

Father and Son Dynamic Duos

Fast forward to 2017, when Kevin’s son, Kieran, needed to present a new kind of product concept in his advanced High School marketing class, so he asked his dad if he could create a presentation around the Smart Apron, and he said, ‘that would be awesome’. After Kieran completed the presentation, the reception from this teacher and students was overwhelmingly positive, so he spoke to his dad about them teaming up together to revitalize the Smart Apron brand, and right there and then the father and son partnership began.

Rebrand and Revitalize

Over the next few years, the father and son duo rebranded the line, searched for a top tier manufacturer, expanded their total number of designs to 11, created a new website and logo, Trademarked the Smart Apron name and logo, filed patents, launched their products on Amazon, and completed hundreds of other operational tasks to begin to scale brand awareness and sales. During the COVID pandemic, Smart Apron took advantage of this economic slowdown to concentrate on improving upon their online ecommerce platform product listings and reached out to several nationally recognized foodservice distributors, to showcase how Smart Aprons can benefit their customers. These efforts led to contracts with US Foods, Sysco, and Edward Don. In addition, during this time Kieran Hoy was instrumental in developing all of the Smart Apron Amazon product listings, and transitioning 100% of their Amazon orders to FBA, while also managing drop ship orders for Etsy, Walmart, Michaels, and with three large national distribution partners, US Foods Direct and Sysco/SOTF and Edward Don (In 2023 Sysco acquired Edward Don).

Smart Apron Achievements:

In 2022, Smart Apron was able to achieve its main strategic goal of locating a top tier garment manufacturer that could consistently produce the various Smart Apron designs to their very stringent specifications, by securing a manufacturing partnership with Loyal Textiles Mills, one of the most respected textile and garment produces in India and in the world.

Listed below are some other Smart Apron milestones and successes, achieved by working each day to ensure Smart Aprons products performed flawlessly for every customer and assisted them throughout their busy day.

• Amazon Smart Apron Waist Style has over 500 positive reviews on Amazon
• Smart Apron exhibited at the National Restaurant Association Show 2023 and received overwhelming positive feedback regarding their brand and made critical sales connections.
• Etsy Over 445 sales and maintaining a 5-star rating
• 2023-Food & Beverage Magazine, Product of the Year, Editor’s Pick for K-12 Products
• Multiple Smart Aprons Press Releases posted regarding Smart Aprons manufacturing achievements with Loyal Textile Mills
• Development of new Mini Smart Apron-Kieran Hoy invented the Smart Apron Mini design, which now accounts for 30% of our total sales.

• In 2022, Smart Apron added new Regional Sales Manager, Dan Foley.
• Participated in the Let’s Do This fashion show in 2023 and showcased their various Smart Apron Styles
• In 2022, Smart Apron became the ‘Official Apron of Sunset Slush’-Sunset Slush offers/sells Smart Aprons to their over 100 Independent Operators to assist them in selling their amazing Italian Ice and other dessert products, via mobile carts, mobile trucks and brick & mortar stores, nationwide.
• Multiple Smart Aprons Press Releases posted regarding Smart Aprons manufacturing achievements with Loyal Textile Mills
• Amazon Smart Apron Waist Style has over 500 positive reviews on Amazon

• In 2023, the Collier Restaurant Group https://collierrestaurantgroup.com/ contacted Smart Apron for a large order so they could switch from using outdated traditional aprons for all staff using Smart Aprons.
• In 2022, Smart Apron became the ‘Official Apron of Sunset Slush’-Sunset Slush offers/sells Smart Aprons to their over 100 Independent Operators to assist them in selling their amazing Italian Ice and other dessert products, via mobile carts, mobile trucks and brick & mortar stores, nationwide.
• In 2023, Hans Schramm, original founder of Smart Apron rejoins our team as Regional Sales Manager.
• In 2024 Smart Apron was featured in The Textile Magazine, one of the most influential publications relating to textile achievements and garment production and design.

2024 and Beyond

Smart Apron is designing new styles to expand our line of products, to better serve our customer’s needs, and always looking for ways to improve upon our products and connecting with new customers and business associated, so if interested in learning more about Smart Apron or to obtain wholesale pricing, please feel free to call, text or email us today!

Email: Info@TheSmartApron.com

Phone/Text: 480-688-3771