‘We’re all one community’: local business owner Tom Mihalik gives back to U of T Engineering

Each fall, Tom Mihalik makes a short trek from his store in Kensington Market to a lecture theatre on U of T’s St. George campus for what has become a very cherished tradition.

He’s there to share his story – and the story of Tom’s Place, the men’s clothing business he has owned and operated for decades – with students taking a course called Entrepreneurship and Business for Engineers, taught by adjunct professor Vince Arone.

“Vince is such a kind, good-hearted gentleman, and so well prepared,” says Mihalik. “He makes copies of the radio ads that we do, and plays them for the students, so that when I get there, they know all about me. I feel like a superstar, larger than life. I look forward to it every year.”

Learning the business through hard work and experience

Tom’s Place was founded in 1958 by Tom’s father, William Mihalik, a Hungarian immigrant who built his livelihood through hard work and trust. Growing up in Kensington Market, Tom learned the business through experience, eventually transforming it into one of Canada’s most respected independent menswear retailers.

“I went to school at Oxford – by which I mean the corner of Oxford and Spadina,” says Mihalik, referring to an intersection just a couple of blocks away from where his store now stands.

“There was a fruit store there, Budapest Fruits, that was owned by friends of my father. They gave me my first part-time job, at 12 years old, and I became one of their best salesmen. Many of the customers were Hungarian immigrants, like us, so we could talk about anything.”