Bonnie Campbell’s life sat at a crossroads.
She lost her job as an administrative assistant in Arizona and her resume wasn’t getting many hits online. She was tired of working for other people.
Then, Campbell took a part-time job at a specialty olive oil store and found “it was too much fun.”
So Campbell and her sister, Dee Dee, who also lost her job, decided to go into business for themselves, looked around the country, and headed to Bellevue. After cashing in savings and 401k money, they opened Two Sisters Olive Oil in Old Bellevuejust after Thanksgiving last year.
“The demographics are right in our wheelhouse,” Campbell said. “There’s a lot of foodies here, a lot of people are brand conscious, and it’s a more affluent area.”
For many people, olive oil is just a way to grease a pan for a meal. This is a mistake, said Matt Stermer, owner and president of Oil and Vinegar, located in Bellevue Square. Olive oil can have the same effect in enhancing a meal as a fine wine.
Stermer learned about the importance of good oil while he worked overseas for Nike. Each oil has its own flavor, and, as with fine wines, pairings can mean everything.
“Most Americans, they don’t understand what good oil tastes like until they come in,” he said.
Like Campbell, Stermer was ready to venture out on his own. He jumped into the olive oil game in 2006, and he hasn’t looked back. Oil and Vinegar has been a fixture at Bellevue Square since then and the store is the flagship franchise of locations throughout the world.
When the economy went sour, Stermer assumed business would drop, but the store experienced nearly 10 percent growth from year to year, with a record increase in 2011.
Though upscale Bellevue residents were not hit as hard by recession, Stermer points to the store’s customer service and the fact that good olive oil doesn’t cost much more than the basic variety for the store’s continued success.
Both Campbell and Stermer said prices begin as low as $15 and move up into the $20 range. Store-bought oils can cost anywhere from $4 up to $10 or $12.
While Oil and Vinegar and Two Sisters sell similar product, they don’t compete as much as it seems. Oil and Vinegar carries salad dressings, spices and many other items, while Two Sisters sticks to a variety of oils made by a California-based supplier.
Campbell said business has been up since a January lull. The initial trepidation of opening a new business has faded, and now Campbell sounds a lot like a long-time Puget Sound resident.
“You can intellectually say ‘OK it rains a lot’ but until you live here, you can’t really know what it means,” she said.
Welcome to the neighborhood.
Matt Stermer, president and owner of Oil and Vinegar in Bellevue Square. The store has been located in the mall since 2006 and offers samples of its oils and dressings. NAT LEVY, Bellevue Reporter
