FEATURE FRIDAY: GREEN OLIVE MARKET & CAFE
We have so many wonderful businesses in Downtown Squamish that offer amazing food and service. I am sincerely grateful that I get to experience these great businesses regularly. Whether that’s a stop to grab a lovingly made coffee or actually putting my work away and savoring the food and a break in the day, each experience is worthwhile, and that’s why it is important that we highlight these businesses and their offerings. I recently sat down with Kostas and Anastacia at Green Olive Market and Cafe and asked them some of my favourite questions.
Can you tell us about yourselves?
We are a group of Mediterranean Europeans who come from different courses of life. We all have many things in common, though; we are very passionate about the food and products of our countries. We all have PhDs in our fields (Music, Philosophy, Physics) and have traveled and lived in various cities in Europe for a long time during our studies and career stations (France, Germany, Belgium, the US, and the UK).
In 2015 we joined forces to open Green Olive Market + Café with the mission to bring to our community original European street food such as panini or spanakopitas, and groceries from Europe as well as the real Italian espresso that we all miss soooo much here in North America!!
We believe that extra virgin olive oil or good pasta are not luxury products; on the contrary, they can be an excellent and healthy everyday family dinner, like in our homes and countries.
We consider our success the fact that after 5 years of operation our soups, made by following family recipes and sourcing the best ingredients, using only the right extra virgin olive oil each time, have become many people’s regular lunch.
Our customers trust our choices, come in and try our specials that sometimes are made with products they have never had before. We are totally thrilled when our customers come in and ask for recipes and advice! “What pasta should I use with squid ink?” “Why are your canned tomatoes not acidic?” and they come back the next day with some leftovers in a container to share with us, or they send us photos being so proud of what they have made!
Everything we serve is original, and made with so much love and care! We never stop upgrading the quality of what we offer. We revise the menu and all ingredients endlessly. We source many ingredients from the Sea to Sky corridor, such as many of our veggies for our soups. Our bread, some baked goods, and frozen meals come from selected small businesses in Vancouver. The number of locally produced products in our freezers and shelves is rising continuously.
What do you love most about having a business in Squamish?
What initially brought us to Squamish is, of course, climbing! We immediately loved the people and the ambiance; so many customers of ours have become good friends! We really liked the schools for our kids, the proximity to wild nature, and the fact that most businesses in Downtown are so casual, cozy, and welcoming! Also, we love the fact that it is so close to Vancouver, its concert halls, the Cinematheque, and galleries, as we maintain a second life as researchers, cinephiles, and artists!
What is your best piece of advice for any new business owner?
To be original and follow their passion, whatever it is. Passionate people are not afraid of risks, are hardworking, and are devoted to their dream.
What is your favorite memory of your business thus far, or what are you looking forward to the most?
You know that food is all about memories. Our favorite moments are when Europeans who have left their home countries a long time ago, second-generation Europeans, or Canadians who travel regularly to Europe come to us and say, “Thank you! This is exactly how I remember it!” or “This is how mom used to make it!” or “Thank you for bringing this product, I have so many memories with it!”. Almost every day, people say: “It feels, smells, and tastes like Europe in here!”.
Growing up in Europe is not just about the products of your own country. In the Super Market, one finds chocolates from Switzerland, spätzle from Germany, salami from Milano, jams from France, crackers from Sweden, licorice from the Netherlands, olives from Greece, and fish tins from Spain. This is exactly what we are trying to do here, at a smaller scale, of course, and this is what we are looking forward to the most: catering to everyone’s food memories or explorations to a new world of original flavors and tastes.
Tell me, what other stores are your favorite / that you like to frequent in downtown Squamish?
We love every single business in this town, and we could hardly imagine Squamish without any of them. However, our best business is Tony, the Italian barber! We all go there for our haircut; our son, who now studies in Waterloo, lets his hair grow as long as it takes to return and have a haircut at Tony’s!
Anything else you would like to share?
We would like to share our love for olive oil and olives! We grew up in olive tree orchards, where cypresses break the mellow lines of olive trees next to the blue Mediterranean sea. Most of us still have our own orchards and produce some fantastic olive oil every year and some of the best green olives ever! Anastasia is soon becoming an Olive Oil Sommelier!
We are so grateful to have this wonderful business in downtown Squamish and even more grateful for the passionate and committed people behind it. Kostas and Anastasia, thank you for bringing your delicious food and passion to Downtown Squamish on the daily!
Green Olive Market and Cafe can be found at 38161 Cleveland Avenue, Squamish.
