Sydney's hottest hospitality merch to support your favourite restaurants and bars

The hospitality merch boom is well and truly on. Has been for quite a while, to be fair – longer if you include the Happy Meal toy or those puzzling cardboard crowns at Hungry Jack's that probably make more sense abroad where the fast-food giant is known as Burger King.

But two things have changed recently. 1. It's now absolutely everywhere. 2. It's getting very good. Bonus third thing: the combination of things one and two means the punters are loving it, happily staking their personal brands on the venues that speak to them.

The model is not new: financially support the thing you like, broadcast that support from your torso, advertise personal affinity for the thing you like, potentially attract like-minded mate. Only now, where we were once plugging bands and films, it's pasta and sandwiches.

Inevitably, there's also an element of COVID-19 solidarity. "Now that we're deprived of hospitality, everyone realises how much we miss it," says Griffin Blumer of Sydney gin darling Poor Toms.

"Of course buying merch isn't the same as being there, but it's a way of telling venues that we miss them, we love them, and we can't wait to see them on the other side."

The body is nature's billboard. We all have one, and if you've any ad space to spare on yours, and you live in NSW, consider plugging it now with any of the following.

It's a way of telling venues that we miss them, we love them, and we can't wait to see them on the other side.

Griffin Blumer

Poor Toms

Runaway gin hit Poor Toms needs no introduction. Griffin Blumer and Jesse Kennedy's Marrickville distillery runs a line of low-key branded short-sleeve tees, recently adding a long-sleeve featuring an "old Negroni man sitting on a pair of lemons underneath a botanical garland" to the mix in support of their new canned cocktails. They're packaging a four-pack of gin and tonics with the long-sleeve and a mini stubby holder for just $47 – hop on that before they change their minds. poortoms.com

Cafe Freda's

The second coming of Freda's has been a decidedly more refined affair. Reborn as a breezy European wine bar in Taylor Square after nine years as a heaving Chippendale club, Freda's understated collection of short-sleeve tees features the venue's cute-if-unnerving stretchy hand logo emblazoned across the chest. In the instance of the white tee, the logo is coupled with the cute-if-unnerving question "Remember Fun?" You can have it for $40. cafefredas.com

Frankie's Pizza

Everyone's favourite red sauce parlour-cum-den of debauchery has always had amazing merch. In heartbreaking news, Frankie's has been earmarked for demolition to make way for the new Hunter Street metro station, making it ever more urgent to secure your piece of history. Things get decidedly lewd on some of the short-sleeve tees, but you can't go wrong with the Frankenstein-esque "Get F---ed at Frankie's" long-sleeve – yours for $50. frankiespizzabytheslice.com

Dimitri's

Purveyors of aesthetically appealing sourdough pies, Dimitri's produces just the one short-sleeve t-shirt, but it's a goodie.

Printed on a "natural" colour Gildan shirt, the esoteric tee shows Dimitri's strung out pizza chef logo on the front breast pocket and a psychedelic interpretation of a pizza on the back. It's $35, and it's one of the most versatile pieces on this list. dimitrispizzeria.com

South Dowling Sandwiches

For whatever reason, this is one of those places that people like to claim as theirs and theirs only. If this is you, wouldn't the coveted South Dowling tee be the perfect way to assert dominance in your next such confrontation? A clean white short-sleeve t-shirt, plain but for the sandwich giant's pared-back logo, these rare collector's items are sold exclusively in-store. If you can't see them, just ask. Unlike the cult shop's best-enjoyed-immediately sandwiches, these are all but guaranteed to appreciate in value. southdowling.com.au

Rara Ramen

Sydney is blessed with excellent ramen, but as enthusiasts will attest, the kitchen secrets that make a Rara broth pop make theirs one of the citywide standouts.

The restaurant's logo – one of Sydney's best – features a crane-necked woman scoffing noodles from just above bowl height, and is available on a white t-shirt for $35 and a tote bag for a tenner. rararamen.com.au

The Grifter Brewing Co.

Another bona fide Marrickville institution, Grifter's merch range is seemingly endless. Indulge your inner brewer with a Grifter-branded flannel shirt for $60, and pair it with a fisherman's beanie for a further $24.50.

There's t-shirts, there's hoodies, there's terry towelling bucket hats, but most of all there's a $45 corduroy cap that simply says "Exquisite Piss". thegrifter.com.au