Dilworth Business Series: Pour Olive
One of Charlotte’s best specialty stores can be found in the heart of Dilworth on East Boulevard! We had the pleasure to stop by
Pour Olive, a family-owned artisanal oil & vinegar shop (along with other hand picked items perfect for pairing) last week, and were blown away!
Whether you are a novice chef, or well-seasoned, Pour Olive is sure to impress with their wide array of balsamic vinegars, olive oils, local honey & fresh bread by Duke’s Bakery!
Pour Olive offers your “basic” vinegars as well as creative creations: Honey Laced Ginger, Cranberry Pear & Thai Lemongrass Ming (just to name a few). Their Olive Oil flavors are just as impressive: Wild Mushroom & Sage, Herbs de Provence and Tuscan Herb. Not sure if you can commit to a whole bottle just yet? Fear not! Placed throughout are squares of fresh bread perfect for taste-testing. Their knowledgable staff gave us great recommendations on which oils and vinegars pair best with certain dishes. Their creativity will give your kitchen the variety its been craving.
Take a look at our Q&A below with one of the owners, Sophie, and be sure to stop by for a last minute holiday gift, a new way to spice up a holiday dinner, or simply to stock up on kitchen essentials!
How long has your business been in Charlotte? Dilworth?
2.5 years
Why did you choose Dilworth over other areas in Charlotte?
Wefelt like it was a great fit for this neighborhood. Dilworth and the surrounding neighborhoods have some great up and coming foodscenes and we thought the community would love it-they have. Also, more importantly, this is where we live. We’ve have two little ones athome it makes for a quick and convenient commute–a lot of times I just pack the kids up in the stroller and walk up. It truly is ‘Our little shoppe around the corner’.
What have you come to love about the neighborhood?
The great sense of community andneighborly love! We’ve partnered up with other East Blvd. Boutiques for events. We’ve attended fun events as sponsors such as Dilworth Ladies party and Dilworth Home Tour. We know that our neighbors have our back whether our pipes burst or to drum up extra business! We love it here!
What is your favorite experience or most surprising experience about being located in Dilworth or having Dilworth customers?
Hands down: Meeting folks that have come in to shop and ultimately become very close, personal friends! I love that I can be at the Kings Dr. Farmers Market or at The Milky Way and recognize a familiar face from PO!
What is your favorite lunch or dinner spot in Dilworth?
Honestly, we don’t have to look far for that answer. We love Lebowskis, our next door neighbors! During our buildout I think I had a Beef on ‘Weck everyday for lunch, and their The Bosssandwich saved me daily while I was pregnant and working last holiday season.
Any partnerships or good working relationships with other Dilworth businesses?
YES! Lebowskis uses our oil + vinegar pairings for their salads. Local chefs such as Chef Alyssa and Heidi Billotto use our productexclusively in their cooking demosand classes. Holistic Nutritionalist, Carolyn Hallet of TheWhole Tulip uses our high quality EVOO when talking about healthy clean eating. We’ve been workingclosely with Dukes Bread since Day 1 as well as Charlotte Very Local Honey. We try to keep it in theneighborhood, or close surrounding neighborhoods whenever possible!!
What sets you apart from other shops in Charlotte?
Two things: We are the ONLY store in Charlotte that carries ‘Ultra Premium’ Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Ultra Premium (UP) is the highest standard in EVOO. Come in and taste thedifference. Yeah, it can be pretty overwhelming to walk in and see 50 gleaming fustis (the stainless containers that hold our product), but our staff is friendly and knowledgeable. So if you’re in for the highest Polyphenol UP EVOO or for a gift for your future mother-in-law, we would love to point you in the right direction. Or, if you just want to try ’em all at your own pace, you’re absolutely welcome to! Doug and I built this business to mimic that of an old general store. Where weremember your name and would love for you to stop and chat and pet our Golden Retriever under the desk. We never got the dog, but promise to remember who you are and so thankful that you chose to shop at our store!
What else would you like the community to know about Pour Olive?
We carry the freshest Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the area. We buy from both hemispheres so we always have the current harvest. Why is this important? Well, all those amazing health benefits that we’re after in EVOO such as the Polyphenols and Oleic Acid diminish over time. As well as the flavor! If you don’t know WHEN your oil was made, know WHERE is meaningless.
