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R e s t a u r a n t D a i l y N e w s S u n d a y, M a y 1 7 , 2 0 1 5 6 6 SHOPPERS EAGERLY TAP INTO FRESH, SEASONAL FLAVORS AT THE OLIVE TAP By Lucas Witman In order to be a successful specialty food professional today, it is essential that one also serve as an educator. In the 21st century consumer landscape, shop- pers not only want foods that taste good, but they want to know the precise details surrounding the foods they are consum- ing. From cheese to truffles to seafood to chocolate, those hungry for specialty food are also voracious consumers of information about those foods. This is especially true when it comes to gour- met categories where a vast and diverse product selection makes it difficult to winnow down the offerings and find the right product for the right person and situation. Case in point: olive oil. Staff members at The Olive Tap, a national chain of stores specializing in gourmet olive oils and balsamic vine- gars, are constantly working to educate themselves about the products they offer and pass the benefits of that education onto the stores' clientele. "We continu- ally train our staff so they are very knowledgeable about the oils," said Rick Petrocelly, The Olive Tap founder and co-owner of three stores. "Almost all of our employees are home cooks or recreational chefs themselves. Customers get a lot of after-the-sale and during-the-sale experience in being able to talk to someone who can walk them through more novel ways to make din- ners and salads and what-have-you." Petrocelly founded The Olive Tap in 2006. Today there are 13 stores locat- ed throughout the country, including in North Carolina, Illinois, Florida, Colorado, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. Petrocelly himself owns three retail stores, one in Long Grove, Illinois, one in Manitou Springs, Colorado and the company's online store. For Petrocelly, who grew up in restaurants owned by his Italian family in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, it was always understood that he would make his career in food. "I have been a foodie my entire life," he said. "Italian food culture is what it is. We don't eat to live – we live to eat. From a very young age, I was working at the restaurant and cooking. I always had this interest in food." It was not until later in life, how- ever, that Petrocelly's interests were turned specifically toward olive oil. After reading a series of articles on the product in the now-defunct American version of the magazine La Cucina Italiana, Petrocelly and his wife set their sights on learning everything they could about how to operate a gourmet olive oil shop. Thanks to Petrocelly's vision, The Olive Tap is now a bustling hub for any- one with a passion for food and a desire to try a diverse array of olive oils and balsamics sourced from across the globe. Most stores carry between 50 and 70 oils and vinegars at any one time sourced from the United States, South America, Spain, Greece, Italy and beyond. In addition, the stores carry a number of additional specialty foods and tabletop items. Some of The Olive Tap's most popular offerings include jams and preserves from Braswell's, glazes and sauces from Earth & Vine Provisions, specialty goods from Delicaé Gourmet, Frontier Soups mixes, gourmet salts from SaltWorks and Sea Salt Superstore and ceramic goods from Harold Imports. When it comes to the store's name- sake product, The Olive Tap supplies customers with olive oil in a unique way – through its fusti, or bulk program. When one enters one of the company's stores, the fusti (or oil tanks) will be the first thing he or she sees. At least 70 per- cent of the stores' floor space is occu- pied by long specially designed counters where the fusti sit. When a customer chooses an oil, an employee simply fills-to-order a pre-labeled bottle. Petrocelly is a passionate advocate for the benefits of merchandising olive oil in this way. "If you go into a grocery store today, you have no idea what is inside the bottle … If you buy something pre- bottled, you have no idea what it tastes like," said Petrocelly. "With us, you taste directly from the tank. If you real- ly want that product, we bottle it right in front of you. There's a knowledgeable customer representative in that store that is going to give you a taste. When you have decided you found one that you like, we are going to bottle it, cork it and seal it right in front of the customer. We eliminate that flavor disappointment factor you get when purchasing from grocery stores. There is no surprise when you get home." In choosing what olive oils to offer at his stores, Petrocelly is very careful to select only the best quality olive oils, conducting detailed scientific and sen- sory tests of available products on the market, but also polling his customer base to see what types of oils they favor. Customers at The Olive Tap are primari- ly drawn to three types of olive oil: sweet, light oils like Arbequina, Mission and Spanish Gold, medium intensity oils like Italiano and Picual and strong, pep- pery oils like Koratina. Arbequina is a particular favorite. Because of its popu- larity, the company works hard to offer customers a fresh supply year round, filling fusti with California Arbequina in the fall, then moving to oils sourced from Spain, Chile, Australia and Uruguay as the seasons change. The Olive Tap's bestselling balsam- ic vinegar is the versatile Italian import Aceto Balsamico di Modena. However, it is slightly more difficult for Petrocelly to identify the flavored balsamic vine- gars that are most in demand, as cus- tomer preferences shift throughout the year. In the fall, pomegranate, cranberry walnut, orange and tangerine vinegars fly off the shelves. However, in the sum- mer, it is all about raspberry and straw- berry. Although most customers at The Olive Tap are stopping in to pick up goods for their own personal use, the company also does a bustling gift busi- ness throughout the year as well. Shoppers come in to pick up custom gift baskets and corporate gifts. In addition, The Olive Tap's bulk service make it possible for bottles to be customized for special occasions, for example as wed- ding favors. Taking advantage of the knowledge that staff members of The Olive Tap have developed surrounding the world of oils and vinegars, the company has actively branched out into the communi- ties in which it operates, working with chefs and restaurants and also educating consumers about the products. Petrocelly himself teaches classes on the history of olive oil as well as a series dubbed "The Culinary Dynamic Duo," in which he discusses the pairing of oil and vinegar. The company also main- tains an educational blog where it dis- cusses issues related to these products in greater detail (www.theolivetap.com/blog/). In just eight short years, Rick Petrocelly has transformed an inkling of an idea into a bustling (and growing) retail concept that is treating consumers across the country to an enlightening shopping experience. Yet, in the begin- ning, he was never sure the risk would pay off. "When I first opened in 2006, I believe we were probably the third inde- pendent stand-alone olive oil store in the country. At that time, there was the question: 'Do you really think you can sustain a business in olive oil?'" he said. "That question has been very well answered." NEARLY 100 DIAGEO EMPLOYEES REFRESH STAMFORD'S MILL RIVER PARK ON EARTH DAY Diageo North America continued the company's long standing tradition of community service this year by enabling nearly 100 employees from its North American headquarters to perform a full day of volunteer service at Mill River Park in Stamford, Connecticut. Employee volunteers were from Diageo North America's finance team, which has held a large-scale annual community service event in the area for the past 11 years. "Earth Day reminds us of the inex- tricable link we have with our environ- ment. It's terrific to see Diageo volun- teers come out in such strength to Mill River Park and demonstrate strong sup- port by Diageo North America for what we are achieving here in restoring the environment at the Park," said Arthur Selkowitz, Mill River Park Collaborative Board Chair. Employees undertook a range of impactful projects at the park, including river clean up, restoration of a walking path, and revitalization of the meadow area. An additional group initiative was the creation of a "rain garden" to enable rain water to flow through the park's grounds for filtration prior to flowing into the river. Members of Diageo's volunteer team also took on gardening duties across the park, as well as the task of refreshing the playground with fresh paint and mulch. In addition to people power, the company has committed funds to cover costs of materials and supplies, as well as an additional initiative to install solar pan- els for the park's greenhouse. "We look forward to this event all year long, as it gives us a chance to step away from our desks and work as a group to make a visible improvement in part of our community," said Namita Subramanian, Vice President, Finance, Diageo-Guinness USA. "This year we chose to help beautify Mill River Park because its mission to connect people with nature aligns with one of Diageo's core focus areas – reducing our environ- mental impact and preserving the world around us." In line with Diageo's ongoing com- mitment to environmental sustainability, Diageo employees celebrate Earth Month with a range of events and activities across North America. Events are focused on conservation and community, and include: local park and river cleanups in Plainfield, Illinois and Relay, Maryland; beach clean-ups in Miami; a day of spring clean-up at Short Beach in Stratford, Connecticut, which is known for providing critical habitat for wildlife; installation of insectary plants and owl and bat boxes as alternatives to pesticide use at Provenance Vineyard in Napa; biodiversity awareness efforts in California; tree planting across Canada; sustainability scavenger hunts; carpool- ing incentives; a vehicle emission reduc- tion competition; as well as numerous education and engagement sessions, recycling drives for e-waste, and other volunteer activities across Diageo's North American facilities and offices. Diageo's commitment to community service extends across North America with hundreds of Diageo employees vol- unteering thousands of hours each year and contributing to numerous fundraising activities. Local Diageo employees have provided support for Norwalk Land Trust's Farm Creek Nature Preserve, Norwalk's Open Door Shelter, New York City's Church of the Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen, and Norwalk's Stepping Stones Museum for Children, among oth- ers. Nationally, Diageo is known for responding swiftly in times of need and, through its Spirit of the Americas pro- gram, has completed massive relief mis- sions to areas impacted by natural disas- ters including Afghanistan, Haiti, Southeast Asia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, New Orleans, Oklahoma, Texas, New York, New Jersey,Colorado and, most recently, the Philippines. Diageo proudly offers a volunteering pol- icy that provides full time and reduced hour employees of Diageo North America one week leave each year to volunteer.