Hi! I’m Josh Bueno; Founder and Lead Designer

It all started in 2021. I had been a graphic designer for over 20 years, but here's something you might find surprising: in all those years, I had never designed a Graphic T-shirt. Not one.

That changed when I ran into a little problem.

I loved visiting the parks, but I couldn't find anything to wear that really felt like me. My personal style has always leaned toward black, neutral colors, and understated designs with a little edge. I wanted something that captured the magic and nostalgia of the parks without sacrificing my style. Something different from the typical theme park apparel.

So, I decided to design something for myself.

And, well... the rest is history.

In 2021, we started sharing photos of a few of our designs on Instagram. What began as a small creative outlet quickly started gaining attention. My daughter Gaby asked a couple of her friends to model some of our shirts. We posted the photos, and before we knew it, things started taking off.

But there's another part of our story that most people don't know.

When we started Park Hop Tees, not a single person in our family knew how to screen print or embroider so like most brands starting out we outsourced our very first run of T-shirts.

I placed our very first order with a screen-printing shop in San Bernardino, California. Over $3,000 worth of our designs, ready to be printed on tees for the first time. I was so excited to see my designs come to life. I chose the screen print route because of proven durability.

I was only two weeks away from having my first designs shipped to my house so we could start promoting our first collection. Or so I thought.

two weeks went by, then three, then 6 weeks went by. I kept calling the screen printer, asking for updates on our order. Week after week, nothing. Eventually, I came to a pretty devastating realization.

I had been scammed.

The screen printer never fulfilled our order. Unfortunately, I had paid him in full through Zelle before receiving the shirts, and I was unable to file a claim to recover the money.

That was a devastating moment, I literally cried and asked God to comfort me. I was so hurt. It made me want to call the whole thing off. “Maybe this wasn’t meant to be” I thought.

But instead of giving up, I started doing the math.

I realized it would actually be more cost effective for me to purchase screen printing equipment and make our own tees, rather than pay another screen printer $3,000 to print our first collection.

So that's exactly what I did. I bought our first press and watched every youtube video on screen printing that existed.

I didn't give up. If anything, that negative experience fueled me even more. I became determined not only to create quality designs but to learn how to handcraft quality screen-printed tees ourselves.

And that's how something pretty unfortunate turned into one of the best things that could have happened to our brand.

To this day, we screen print and embroider everything in-house. Our turnaround times might be a little longer than those of the big-box stores, but there's a reason for that. Every tee and accessory is made by hand, with a tremendous amount of attention to detail and love.

It's something we take a lot of pride in.

For the first four years, Gaby became the face of Park Hop Tees. She played an instrumental role in helping build the brand, connecting with our growing community, and bringing our designs to life on social media.

But while Gaby was in front of the camera, there was an entire family working behind the scenes.

My wife Lisa, our daughter Faith, Gaby's husband Jake, and many other family members all played a part in bringing Park Hop Tees to life. From printing and packing orders to helping with the countless little things that go into running a small business, this has always been a family effort.

What started with one designer wanting something different to wear to the parks became something much bigger than I ever imagined.

Today, our tees are worn by park fans all over the world. And that still amazes me.

It's our customers who we work day and night for. What started as an attempt to solve a problem for myself has become a passion for creating something special for others who were looking for the very same thing.

Today, Park Hop Tees is still rooted in that same idea that started it all: creating nostalgic, thoughtfully designed apparel for people who love the magic of the parks but have a style all their own.

And no matter how much we grow, I'll never forget the family, the late nights, and the amazing customers who helped turn one simple idea into Park Hop Tees.

And speaking of our customers, we'd love to meet you!

If you're ever in Northern California, we'd love for you to stop by. We've turned a small storefront portion of our studio into a little retail space where locals can come in, say hello, and grab some tees before heading to the parks.

You'll find us in the Carmichael area of Sacramento at 5834 Robertson Ave.

You can schedule an appointment to shop Monday through Friday, 10 AM–6 PM by text (916) 426-306.

No appointment is needed on Saturdays; we're open to the public from 10 AM–3 PM.

I genuinely look forward to meeting you one day.

And to every Park Hop Tees customer, whether you've been with us since the beginning or just discovered us yesterday...

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

Josh Bueno
Founder & Creative Director, Park Hop Tees

josh@parkhoptees.com