Orv Madden, former executive of The Children’s Place, began selling T-shirts and assorted novelty items out of his garage in 1988. He opened his first retail location in 1989 in the Montclair Plaza, in Montclair, California. The company operates a chain of counterculture stores, usually located in shopping malls. The stores offer clothing, accessories, and licensed music.
Headquarters for Hot Topic are located in Industry, California.