Shaping Steel
Steel City Garage pays homage to hard-working roots
Some of the greatest creators got their start inside a garage.
For Steel City creators Brandon and Carly Grbach, the garage is a sign of growth and expansion – as well as homage to the past.
The clothing brand’s new store, the aptly named Steel City Garage, opened its doors in the Streets of Cranberry to much fanfare – including a line around the block of eager shoppers.
The company began with the simplest of concepts: to create a person’s favorite tee-shirt.
That’s blossomed into two brick-and-mortar stores and a significant online presence. Via their vintage Pittsburgh sports clothing, as well as partnerships with familiar faces like Pittsburgh Dad and Mr. Rogers, the brand has become popular throughout the region.
Inside Steel City Garage, however, is a tribute to the Grbach’s blue collar roots, with the space itself inspired by Brandon’s grandfather’s two bay auto shop in Turtle Creek.
Steel City Garage aims to pay tribute to the American laborers and entrepreneurs who built this country from the ground up. Their philosophy represents the American dream - to build or find something and make it better.
“My first memory of learning about a real workday was working hot summers at my grandfather’s two-bay auto shop,” Brandon said. “It is a fond memory of my grandfather showing me what it was like to be an entrepreneur. Working with your hands every day, taking care of customers, offering people a practical service at a fair price.”
"We looked at a lot of locations and this was the space that spoke to me,” he added of the Cranberry location.
The shelves are stocked with vintage T-shirts, logo sweatshirts, windbreakers, and joggers, along with greeting cards, socks and hats, plus other various accessories.
Carly Grbach said the store will capture the “unique essence” of Western Pennsylvania’s history.
“This city was founded by visionary builders and industry workers, and that legacy still lives on in Pittsburgh’s culture today,” she said.