December 2, 2014 – Just in time for holiday gift giving, Santa Cruz’ True Olive Connection is opening its 2nd shop—this one in Aptos in the small shopping center that’s also home to Au Midi French restaurant. “We have a huge clientele from that area and they’ve been asking us to open out there for years,” says owner Susan Pappas. She says the new shop will be a mirror image of the downtown Santa Cruz retail outlet and she hopes to open by Friday, December 12.
“Our business is growing because people are becoming aware that the olive oil sold in supermarkets may not be what it’s supposed to be and they’re not always getting what they pay for,” she says. “People love having the fresh oils they select poured out into bottles right in front of them.”
Customer are also increasingly aware that the health benefits of olive oil come mainly from fresh oils rather than those that have been sitting on a shelf for months or years.
The True Olive Connection, which opened in Santa Cruz four years ago, stocks fresh olive oils they buy directly from growers in California, Greece, Italy, Spain and Argentina. A shipment of this fall’s harvest of Olio Nuovo from Italy is expected to arrive this week. They also sell a selection of gourmet balsamic vinegars, infused sea salts and skin care products made with olive oil.
The new True Olive Connection will be located at 7960 Soquel Dr., Suite C, Aptos.
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At Edible Monterey Bay, our mission is to celebrate the local food culture of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey Counties, season by season. We believe in sustainability, and we believe everyone has a right to healthful, clean and affordable food. We think knowing where our food comes from is powerful, and we hope our magazine, website and newsletters inspire readers to get to know and support our local growers, fishers, chefs, vintners and food artisans.
