We opened our store Olive Connection one week ago and it has been fantastic! Our friends rallied to support us, as did the neighborhood. It is sleepy August in Brookline, many people are away, so those that came in were local and curious. Most people bought something! Web site launched. www.oliveconnection Check it out. There is a lot of bedtime reading here. Hope you find it interesting.
Personalized Service for our specialty food store. .Start with the best ingredients and experiment. .
Charcuterie for tasting. Yummm
Gotta Have Olives…my favorite Lucques from France. And naturally brined olives from Spain too.
Award Winning Olive Oil from from Spain and California. Everything is available to taste. If you like the taste, you will leave with it. We have tasted all!
Olive oil and Vinegars from all over the world are listed on the website. E commerce will come in time. Special events will be planned too so please ‘opt into’ the communication on the website. I promise it will be worthwhile.
And the report card is Happy Customers
In the excitement of opening our own family business, my alma mater closed its doors last week. The staff party to celebrate 20 years of business for Crate and Barrel was Sunday night. The gulp in my throat when I got out of the cab-and tears-and memories of hard work, lots of learning and fun, careers built and friendships made…I had to capture the moment on camera.
20 years ago the store looked like this and we could not wait to fill it with merch
Times are a changin…isn’t that the point of this blog, retail is every day, retail is detail, take nothing for granted, and appreciate every customer. High rent deals and landlords that are going after the big bucks make it difficult. We all built our careers together learning the business and slugging it out in NYC at 59th and Madison. The management dream team got together for this photo op while the staff was dancing. We shared the next phase of our lives…many have big jobs at Crate now, some have exciting next chapters to explore. This photo represents amazing talent. What we all know is we like to sell stuff…that we learned how to do together. And that skill will take us the distance.
Enjoyed your blog. What a beautiful and interesting store. Wish I lived closer and could visit. I will visit your website. If you are ever home in WI, let me know and perhaps we can get together.
Hi Barb
Yes I will contact you for a visit next time I visit Mom. Thank you for your comments. It’s been fun.
Carol
Carol,
I enjoyed reading this! What a beautiful transition you recently experienced. The store looks fantastic. Wish I was closer! Hurry up E commerce
Love Ben
Beautiful store Carol, looks like a neighborhood gem. All my favorite foods, wish we lived close by….your passions shine through. Loved the Madison group photo too, such memories. Darcy
Carol —- Congratulations on Olive Connection, all the details look amazing, and all the product sounds delicious. I’ll be an early website customer! And I have to add, loved your bittersweet notes about the NYC store closing….perfect long view of a crazy career in retail…..I especially appreciate, “we like to sell stuff”…..thanks for helping me learn how to do it “together” so many years ago!
Fabulous! The store looks so inviting. Wish I was there to taste it all!
Love to all,