Talk about being inspired into action: when Elyse Lee and her family visited a specialty olive oil store in Minneapolis, it didn’t take long for them to decide to return home and start a similar business of their own.
“When we left the store we kept talking about how much we loved it over the dinner table,” says Lee. “We’re very much a foodie family.”
Now they’re professional foodies. They opened their first
Great Lakes Olive Oil Co. store in Frankenmuth about a year ago. Now they are celebrating the opening of a second location in
Eastwood Towne Center.
“It’s a lot closer to home for me,” says Lee, who lives in Albion. “And also, there aren’t any small, gourmet shops for people in Lansing to get really good, affordable olive oil and balsamic vinegar.”
Lansing area olive oil aficionados certainly do now. Great Lakes Olive Oil carries between 18 and 20 types each of olive oil and balsamic vinegar at any given time. With the store’s tasting bar, visitors have the chance to sample the olive oils from all over the globe before purchasing.
The 1,000 square foot location opened in late December. Already, Lee and her family have their eyes on further growth.
“We’re always looking for opportunities to go in other cities,” she says. “We’ll see how this place goes and see. We’d definitely like to expand.”
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