Saratoga Olive Oil Company plans Broadway store

ADDED: For information on Saratoga Olive Oil's Demo on March 30, 2012. click here

Following up on some information that Mr. Sunshine wrote in a comment last week, I was on Broadway the other day and I snapped a picture below of the planned location of the Saratoga Olive Oil.  I can't find anything out on the web about it, and I haven't had the chance to chase down any other leads either.  The location is 484 Broadway, a few doors north of City Hall. 

I was at the Ballston Spa Farmers Market last fall and I bought some expensive Spanish olive oil there from a gentleman - it was worth every penny and my wife and I loved it.  The brand was Marques de Valdueza and the web site listed on the bottle was for a distributor called Allmediterranea, which listed both a web site and a phone number 877-286-9958. That web site, interestingly, listed 244 Maple Ave here in the Spa City as the local address and a phone number of (518) 587-9409.  Why was that interesting?  Because a quick Google search of that address and phone number showed it was also used for many Democratic party operations, including Joanne Yebsen's recently unsuccessful State Senate run.  Aha!  A conspiracy to take over the world via olive oil!  Well something tells me there are a few readers that know the players involved here and can shed some light as to who's who.  Back to Saratoga Olive Co, I don't know if it is a new business with different owners or an offshoot of Allmediterranea.  In any event if they have great products I'll certainly shop there, and it's always good to see another downtown empty storefront get filled. 

Comments

[Mr. Sunshine]

Dan, allmediterranea is owned by Thilo Ullmann. It is advertised on the screen at Saratoga Film Forum, of which Thilo is a Board member.

[Dan]

OK thanks for that info - that ties things up neatly.

[TrueSaratogian]

Couple plan olive oil store in Saratoga Springs
StoryDiscussionCouple plan olive oil store in Saratoga Springs
THOMAS DIMOPOULOS - [email protected] The Post-Star | Posted: Thursday, March 31, 2011 10:42 am | (2) Comments

Font Size:Default font sizeLarger font size.SARATOGA SPRINGS - In a city that offers shoppers an array of unique businesses, the most recent will come in the form of Saratoga Olive Oil.

The business, which will feature more than 60 different olive oils, vinegars and sea salts, is a collaboration between Clinton Braidwood, his wife, Barbara, and his brother, Chad.

Clinton Braidwood, who lives in Queensbury, touted the Adirondack theme of the family-run business, which he said has the goal of providing customers with healthy options. The idea for the new store was born out of spending the past several years working and studying everything from depression to cancer, he said.

"All three of us came from a background where we did clinical research, and the underlying problem that we saw was obesity," said Braidwood, who added that research indicates people who incorporate olive oil into their diets have lower cholesterol and enjoy many health benefits compared with those who do not consume olive oil.

Each of the oil products at Saratoga Olive Oil will be available for sampling inside the 1,500-square-foot store, which features more than 60 different olive oils, vinegars and sea salts from around the world.

The family is working with the California-based Veronica Foods company, which conducted health-related research on the products it offers and imports more than a million gallons of extra virgin olive oil every year through exclusive contracts with olive groves worldwide, Braidwood said.

Bread for the store's sampling will be provided by Rock Hill Bake House, and images by artist Tom Myott will hang on the walls. The store will also feature wood creations by Michael Falk, who makes shelving units from timber that is salvaged from northern lakes.

The Braidwoods hope to open their shop on Broadway in mid-April and call their enterprise a true family business.

John Braidwood, the father of Clinton and Chad, has been helping to apply a terra cotta finish to the interior walls, and the latest addition to the family ensemble is Clinton and Barbara's daughter, Sophia, who was born on March 23.

Last fall, the partners began pooling their finances when they got the idea for the shop after visiting a similar business in Maine. They said the next-closest ventures of its kind are in Boston and New York City.

Copyright 2011 The Post-Star. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

.Posted in Local, Business on Thursday, March 31, 2011 10:42 am | Tags: Olive Oil, Olives, Cooking Oils, Botany, Clinton Braidwood, Mediterranean Cuisine, Business_finance, Barbara, California