Madelyn Rolland, a senior at Carlmont, dips a piece of bread into The Olive Crush’s olive oil and balsamic vinegar. “The whole goal at The Olive Crush is to be able to spread information so that everybody can cook and make great food at home. It all starts with healthy great ingredients,” said Mike Fitch.
The Olive Crush in downtown San Carlos is moving after 17 years at its current location on Laurel Street.
A small, family-owned olive oil store, The Olive Crush has been in the process of relocating to the former Society skateboard shop nearby.
Mike Fitch, the owner of The Olive Crush, discovered his love for cooking and ingredients over time, and now spends his days learning about cooking methods. He previously worked in the high-tech field before transitioning to working with olive oil. He has undertaken several renovations to Society during this time and hopes to move into the new store in the coming months.
“I’m looking at probably January before I can open the store. We are going to do some things that we’ve never done before, so it should be a lot of fun,” Fitch said.
Fitch has been putting in many hours of work on the renovations. On average, a store renovation takes around eight to 12 weeks to complete, according to Lehem Remodeling Services LLC.
“I already demoed the interior, painted all the walls, ripped out the carpeting in the back bathrooms, and changed the toilets. I put new flooring in, so it’s been a lot of work so far, and I’m definitely not finished. This will be at least a month before we can even move in,” Fitch said.
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I’m definitely excited to go back to The Olive Crush when it reopens. They have great pasta and olive oil there.
— Keely Swartz
The current location has been open since 2009.
“Both of my sons have worked there over the years, so it’s a small family business. Before this, I worked in high-tech for my career, and I handled the Western United States for a company out of Europe. The Olive Crush is definitely left-field compared to what I used to do, but it’s been so much fun,” Fitch said.
As Fitch’s background is not in culinary arts, he spends a significant amount of time learning from his customers.
“We work with a lot of chefs, so they will come into the store and I will pick their brain, asking them what they would be using our balsamic or olive oils for. I listen to how they use the product, and when customers come in. I become a conduit of information from a chef to the customer,” Fitch said.
If Fitch’s prediction is correct, The Olive Crush will be up and running at its new location in the coming months.
“I’m definitely excited to go back to The Olive Crush when it reopens. They have great pasta and olive oil there,” said Keely Swartz, who regularly goes downtown.
Laurel Street has a long history of store closures. From January to July of 2024, five stores on Laurel Street closed, according to San Carlos Life. This isn’t just central to San Carlos; around 50% of small businesses close after five years of operation in the U.S., according to the Chamber of Commerce.
One store on Laurel Street has almost fallen to the same fate as the many others. The Reading Bug, a popular independent bookstore downtown that has been open since 2009, has also experienced threats of closure.
“We have been in danger of closing and moving twice and are about to try to renegotiate our lease for a third time. If shoppers don’t come downtown and buy books, we will close. If shoppers keep choosing Amazon for convenience over entertainment and expertise, we will close,” said owner Lauren Savage.
The Olive Crush and the Reading Bug are just a small glimpse into the diverse array of independent businesses downtown. The city of San Carlos has made significant strides to encourage more foot traffic on Laurel Street, including closing off sections of the road, according to San Carlos Life.
“Shop local. Keep your tax dollars in your town and help keep our downtown a strong and vibrant place to be. So few towns have what we have right now. It will all go away if we don’t keep shopping and patronizing these unique places,” Savage said.
Dining and Cooking