By Nina Rossman
This small business is thriving with accolades despite a Pandemic. Venice Olive Oil Company is honored with the Herald Tribune’s Reader’s Choice Award for 2021.
Winner in 2019 and now 2021, Readers’ Choice celebrates the top Places & Things, Food, Drink & Entertainment and Services, and Shopping as voted on by readers. It is published annually for Sarasota and Venice.
Established in November 2011, Venice Olive Oil Company will celebrate its upcoming 10th Anniversary serving Venice & Sarasota. New owners Dennis & Linda Turner bought the store in June of 2016 and the 2nd location in Palmer Ranch.
With two Reader’s Choice Awards under their belt, this team has warranted an excellent report card considering the challenges many, many Suncoast small businesses have encountered. From Red Tide to a significant road renovation which closed Venice Avenue for months in downtown Historic Venice. And now Covid-19.
Even with Covid-19, owner Dennis Turner made every effort to get their Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Balsamic into its customers’ hands during lock-down by offering free delivery to residents and free shipping. The entire Venice Olive Oil Team strives for only the best in customer service and satisfaction.
Equally exciting will be expanding the Venice Store location schedule for March 2021, adding 700 square feet. The store will use the added space for tasting classes and a more significant variety of gourmet products to offer customers.
Store Manager, Marci Weidemiller a certified Olive Oil Sommelier, launched educational classes in January of 2020, met with great success. Accommodating the demand to continue these classes during Covid-19, she switched to offering the tasting classes on ZOOM in October of 2020. The February 2021 Class grew to 3 courses for the demand on ZOOM.
Venice Olive Oil Company is very proactive in supporting other locally owned small businesses by stocking and selling their product in both store locations. Likewise, many local restaurants are serving VOOC’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Balsamic to their customers. “Local Economic Support Begins in Our Local Community”
For more information contact:
Nina Rossman
Nina’s New Media
941 223-2572
Ninasnewmedia@gmail.com
