The cold, wet Syracuse April of 2016 didn’t stop waves of Orange fans from packing the bars and stores of Marshall Street to support their men’s basketball team’s Cinderella March Madness run. Fans packed Manny’s store to buy Syracuse merch and eagerly watch Syracuse's games on the store’s TV. The electric atmosphere the fans created and record monthly merchandise sales during Syracuse’s magical dance to the final four made this time one of Michael Theiss’s favorite Syracuse memories.
Theiss is the general manager of Manny’s, a Syracuse University merchandising store located at 151 Marshall St. Theiss has been general manager since 2011, which has been open for 76 years.
Theiss has long had a passion for merchandising. Theiss went into sales after graduating from SUNY Plattsburgh but couldn’t continue with work he didn’t enjoy. Theiss, a Syracuse resident, accepted a job as a merchandising manager at the then-Carrier Dome, now the JMA Wireless Dome, the school’s main sports and events stadium.
“I’ve been in merchandising for over 40 years, and it’s been a much more enjoyable path for me. My job at the dome was one of my first jobs, so it’s basically been my entire career,” Theiss said.
Thiess began to develop his relationship with the owner of Manny’s store during his time working at the Dome, and Theiss was hired as general manager when the former GM retired in 2011.
Theiss said his passion for his job at Manny’s stems from his ties to the school and community going back to his childhood. Theiss remembers driving to Syracuse football and basketball games with his family and was happy to return home and respark his love for Syracuse sports. As general manager of Manny’s, Theiss said he is glad to be part of other people’s Syracuse traditions.
“On football Saturdays or basketball Saturdays all these families come into the store during the tailgates, and they come up to me and they say how they’ve been coming to this store before games their entire lives. I love seeing how I make an impact on their experience,” Theiss said.
Having an impact on the school community has been a huge reason why Theiss is passionate about the work he does at Manny’s. Manny’s is a popular spot for touring students and people new to the area, so it is important to Theiss that his customers have a positive experience.
Edesa Thanasi is a freshman at Syracuse who recalls visiting Syracuse in the fall of 2024 when she was just a Senior in high school. Thanasi recalls visiting Marshall Street after touring Syracuse’s main campus and feeling like her experience at Manny’s was one of the reasons she wanted to attend Syracuse.
“When my parents and I toured the school, Manny’s was the type of place I saw and said this is where I want to be. The hoodie the man working the store sold to me is still in my closet today,” Thanasi said.
Theiss has operated Manny’s through difficult times including the COVID-19 Pandemic followed by hyper-finlation, and the rise of NIL (name, image, and likeness) in college sports. Theiss will face a new challenge in keeping Manny’s running due to the new presidential administration’s trade policies.
“A new issue we’re dealing with right now is the new tariffs. We don’t know if they’re a short-term issue or a long-term issue, but we’re going to try our best to keep our operations running smoothly so we can continue to provide for the community,” Theiss said.
