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Marshall Street Store Owner Eager for Return of Syracuse Students Syracuse Store Owner Eager for Return of Students

By Caleb Spinner

Located on Marshall Street, Shirt World has been a staple of Syracuse for the last 48 years.
© 2024 Caleb S. Spinner

CALEB SPINNER, REPORTER: So much of today’s world is based in social media, but one Marshall Street business is sticking to the old ways. Shirt World has thrived for almost half a century, pulling in Syracuse students without any online presence. Owner Dave Jacobs explains his choice to stay off the internet.

DAVE JACOBS, OWNER: We’re a true brick-and-mortar. It’s all we’ve ever known for the most part, and that’s how we roll.

CALEB SPINNER, REPORTER: Forbes says 77-percent of small business have a social media page. Being one of those holdouts doesn’t bother Jacobs, who says he still gets plenty of business.

DAVE JACOBS, OWNER: The main reason why we have been successful is really not only the fans and the community, but the students in general.

CALEB SPINNER, REPORTER: They may seem outdated, but for stores like Shirt World, the old ways are still the best. Caleb Spinner, N-C-C News.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Syracuse students come and go, but stores like Shirt World remain.

Dave Jacobs has owned the Marshall Street staple for the past 48 years. Over that time, hundreds of thousands of students and their families have come through his doors.

Jacobs said the relationships he forms with customers is the main reason he gets out of bed every day.

“Being here and every day working with the students, the community, the fans, that’s the reason why we get up every morning, my wife and I,” Jacobs said. “To come to work and really have a great atmosphere and give people a great experience when they come in our store.”

Students often come back to Shirt World whenever they’re in town, something Jacobs said keeps him and his wife feeling young.

“The main reason why we have been successful is really not only the fans and the community, but the students in general,” Jacobs said. “They’re our bloodline…and the way we keep active is the young kids and being able to be with them and their families and seeing them grow up from young adults into what they could become.”

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