[6] According to Dell Furano, who at the time was the manager of the Winterland Ballroom,[1] Grateful Dead's drummer Bill Kreutzmann's wife suggested they set up a table to sell T-shirts in the lobby of the venue after concerts.
In 1984, Winterland created a retail arm, known as Rock Express, which sold T-shirts, posters, buttons, keychains, bumper stickers, decals, and photographs.
[12] Winterland grew exponentially in the early 1990s, focusing on custom contract screen printing for pop culture clients like the Hard Rock Cafe, and the Disney Stores, but also apparel manufacturers like Levi Strauss & Co., Donna Karan and The Gap.
[2] According to a 1996 article in the San Francisco Examiner, at that point the company held "merchandising rights to pop stars such as Alanis Morissette, Eric Clapton, Madonna, and Boyz II Men, as well as Led Zeppelin, the Doors and the late Jerry Garcia.
"[2] It also owned "apparel licensing rights to film and TV properties including Jurassic Park, Pulp Fiction, The Flintstones, Clueless, Star Trek, and Twister.