Fresh Brewed Tees is expanding with a second retail location in a year. Starting Saturday, the Cleveland-centric and player-themed T-shirts will be available at the West Side Market.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Fresh Brewed Tees is expanding with a second retail location in a year. Starting Saturday, the Cleveland-centric and player themed business plans to open a retail location at the West Side Market.
The company plans to primarily sell Ohio City and West Side Market themed shirts at this location. Last year at this time, the company opened an 800-square-foot location at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, primarily selling Cleveland Cavaliers, Browns and Indians gear.
Tony Madalone says he's grateful for experiences - ups and downs - that include selling T-shirts in a traveling retail truck in the last two years and opening kiosks in three different malls last year. Lebron James' return to Cleveland also helped his business, he said.
"I feel, our growth is about tapping into the culture and staying in tune with what's popular locally," said Madalone, 30.
The timing is good for a second retail location, he said, because the retail truck at games and festivals helped get the word out, along with social media.
"The retail truck really allowed us to expand and grow both revenue and branding, and it allowed us to innovate and be different," said Madalone, who is also on the board of Cleveland Rocks New Year's Eve, Cleveland's main downtown New Year's Eve celebration in the last few years.
"Being on the ground allowed us to be where the fans were."
But nothing happens overnight. Madalone started selling Vintage T-shirts on eBay in 2005 when he was a sophomore student at Ashland University. After working as a basketball coach at Ashland for a couple of years and obtaining an MBA in 2009, he started Fresh Brewed Tees.
Actually, Madalone started his entrepreneurial career at age 7, selling used toys and lemonade on the sidewalk, organizing family garage sales, and gathering aluminum cans from throughout his Lorain neighborhood.
"I've always been selling," he said, nonchalantly.
The company launched a retail truck in Seattle about a year-and-a-half ago, and also started a custom shoe production facility in Los Angeles.
"We're focused on growing nationally, but opening stores like the West Side Market, allow us to continue to build locally and support Cleveland," he said.