Teenager’s t-shirt company to formally open Utica shop on Wednesday

UTICA, N.Y. — Custom clothing company Toast Tees is holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony next Wednesday to celebrate the formal opening of its new shop in the Marcy Campus Plaza at 9841 River Road in Utica.

The ceremony is being held Aug. 19 at 10 a.m., according to a news release issued by the Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce, which will have representatives in attendance.

Toast Tees president and CEO, 17-year-old Michael Marchio, started the business from his mother’s basement in 2013.

“We cater to the small businesses and organizations in the area that need to build their brand without breaking the bank,” Marchio said in the release, regarding Toast Tees’s business model. “We also serve several local charitable organizations and sports teams.”

Toast Tees services include heat-transfer printing and sublimation for custom signs, banners and promotional items, according to the release.

Marchio is a 2013 graduate of the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) hosted by Mohawk Valley Community College.  YEA! is a 7-month, after-school program that teaches middle and high-school students how to start and run their own businesses. It was founded in 2004 at the University of Rochester, according to the Mohawk Valley Community College website.

“I’m hopeful that more young people will take the opportunity to start or grow a business in the area,” Marchio said in the release. “It’s up to my generation to take on the challenge and the risk.  I encourage others to take advantage of the many services and opportunities provided by our local schools and chambers of commerce, and apply to programs like YEA!”

This fall, Marchio will attend SUNY Polytechnic Institute, at the Marcy campus in Oneida County, majoring in electrical and computer engineering, the release stated.