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Husband and wife open olive oil and vinegar shop in Metairie
Store features 50+ ultra-premium oils and vinegars with tasting stations
Products sourced from California and Italy, including Veronica Foods
Offers in-store events, recipes, and blog promoting healthy living
A husband and wife team in Metairie have parlayed their more than 30-year careers in the medical profession into opening an olive oils and vinegars retail business.
Old Metairie Olive Oils & Vinegars … Etc. – located at 103 Focis St. – is a dream of Hardie French, a medical sales representative, and Laura French, a registered nurse, whose passion for healthy living and flavorful food has blossomed into a new niche business.
“About a decade ago, we discovered the health benefits and culinary versatility of fused and infused olive oils and vinegars – first at an Uptown New Orleans store that has since closed and then in Mississippi,” said Laura French. “We have been passionate and obsessed ever since, and we loved the products so much that we would travel an hour each way to sample and purchase, so we said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we had a store here in our hometown?’ Yes, we agreed.”
Now, they are bringing that experience to the Metairie community as their business features more than 50 ultra-premium, no preservative olive oils and vinegars that customers can sample and then ask for the products to be sealed and bottled up for purchase.
“We have tasting stations throughout our store, and that’s part of the experience when you come to shop. We pour you a little taste, and that way you try it before you buy it. We bottle it, cork it, and seal it on-site, ensuring freshness and longevity,” said Hardie French. “There’s no place like this in Orleans or Jefferson Parish, and we are excited to fill the void in the local market for fresh and high-quality olive oils and vinegars.”
The store sources its products from Veronica Foods in California, a company known for developing innovative processes for fusing and infusing oils and vinegars. Their vinegars are imported directly from Italy. The French’s sell gourmet, fresh harvest, fused, and infused oils, along with specialty, dark balsamic, and white/rosé balsamic vinegars.
Some of their most popular items include the likes of Tuscan herb olive oil, honey ginger balsamic vinegar, lemon oil, and Cayenne olive oil. Beyond oils and vinegars, the store offers a curated selection of pantry items, including specialty olives, cherry tomato sauce, sea salts, spices, candles, body wash, bar soaps, lotion, hand cream, hand wash, and soothing balm, among other miscellaneous items. They have also partnered with Breads on Oak, offering artisan breads Thursday through Saturday, providing an accompaniment for tastings.
“We are excited to bring fresher products and ingredients into people’s homes, elevating their food quality and their health benefits – a noticeable quality difference compared to typical grocery store offerings,” said Hardie French. “The way New Orleans embraces food and expects nothing but the best, high-quality ingredients on their food, we think our store fits in perfectly with the high caliber level of food and hospitality our city is known for.”
The French’s held a grand opening on May 10, and Laura French said the customer traffic was non-stop for six hours. “We loved every minute of it,” she said. “We had customers like us who traveled to other oil and vinegar stores, and they were thrilled that they now have something closer. It was a great way to open our store and begin to share our passion with the community.”
Both Laura and Hardie French agree that education will be important to the success of the business, and for that reason, there is an educational blog on the store’s website, along with recipes for appetizers, desserts, main dishes, salads, sauces, and sides. Articles explore topics such as the importance of ultra-premium olive oils as the highest quality of oils, the differences between fused vs. infused olive oils, the health benefits of balsamic vinegar, how olive oil and vinegar elevate marinades, and appropriate dipping and bread pairings, etc.
“I remember my nursing colleagues noticing the additions to my salad, and before you know it, I was bringing carloads of olive oils and vinegars back from Mississippi,” said Laura French, who in addition to enjoying a more than 35-year career as an RN, has also competed in triathlons for 15 years. “I have always been an educator by trade and a lifelong proponent to my patients for a healthier lifestyle, so now I get to relay those same holistic lifestyle messages to our customers.”
The French’s are organizing in-store private parties, corporate tastings, and social gatherings, to further educate the community about the store’s offerings. As Metairie residents, Hardie said it was important to both he and his wife to open the store in Metairie.
“We have raised our family in Metairie – both children graduating from Country Day – and we have grown our careers here, so this was important to me and my wife to open this business and give back to the same community that has given back to us,” said Hardie French. “Healthy residents and a healthy community are something that we are very passionate about, and we like to think that we have found a niche business that can cater to the healthy lifestyles that people covet and also introduce new eating lifestyles for those who are interested.”
Old Metairie Olive Oils & Vinegars … Etc. is open Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. In addition to the retail store, the products are sold online at https://oldmetairiefoods.com/ and available for delivery.