Decorator Profile The pub that prints
Garment decorators can pop up in the most unusual of places. Take Central Saloon, it is a bar that has increased its merchandise revenue by more than 500% by bringing T shirt printing in-house. Acting editor Benjamin Austin spoke with owner Eric Manegold to find out more.
Manegold decided to bring the process in-house to reduce inventory delays and boost revenue streams. Since then, the bar has seen a rise in merch revenue by 500% – going from $2,000 to $10,000 in shirt sales a month in around two years.
Printing with a purpose Eric said about the process: “For small venue owners, it’s about keeping live music alive. The cost of operation, goods, and labour is rising, so you must come up with an alternative revenue stream that makes sense.
“Our goal was to do $100,000 a year in merchandise, and we are doing that.
Central Saloon co-owners, Guy Curtis and Eric Manegold
T
here is a bar in Seattle that has etched its name into the history books both for its longevity and its cultural significance.
The Central Saloon is almost as old as the city itself, standing proud in Pioneer Square since 1892. It watched miners pursue riches north in the Klondike Gold Rush, flourished as a speakeasy during the prohibition of the roaring 20s, and in its wilder days, even served as a brothel. Now it is best known for being the birthplace of Grunge music and its movement, which rose to popularity in the 80s.
It is still a popular place today for up-and-coming artists to try their hands at performing with around 400 groups playing within its walls.
Across the bar is an array of T shirts, hoodies and other merch decorated with an ensemble of logos for patrons to view, buy and take away to remember their visit.
The printing of these garments was outsourced until 2024, when co-owners Guy Curtis and Eric
| 36 | May 2026
Vastex V2000HD six-colour/ six-station manual press
“We realised people want to take something with them if they’ve been somewhere, whether it’s a poster or a shirt.
“It’s a place where people remember they came in the 80s 90s, and a lot of people come back for a
big event. The city has changed and been gentrified, and things don’t look the same, so sometimes people make a personal pilgrimage back to the club and say this is how it used to be. Some of these visitors aren’t even just from out of state but out of the country.
Eric continued: “Our T shirts are worn all over the world. Some guy might be getting on a plane going to Seattle and see the bar, so it’s a win-win. “We had a visitor from Bahrain who grew up on grunge and wanted to see the bar; they bought six or seven shirts instantly.”
As well as revenue, Central Saloon also brought the process in-house to avoid unexpected delivery issues, distribution problems and inventory shortages.
Eric said: “We do it all in the basement, just below the main floor. We have a gentleman named Bryce who is a musician and artist, and he manages the inventory, the printing,
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
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