Green Olive Company
About Green Olive:
Lisa McCormack turned her passion for olive oil into a thriving business. From physician’s assistant to a culinary entrepreneur, Lisa believes in the power of good ingredients and bringing people together. Green Olive has become a staple at the North Market offering exceptional olive oils and vinegars. The olive oils are sourced from independent farmers across the globe, selected based on which hemisphere is in the midst of its harvest season. This ensures that every oil is as fresh as possible. The process is meticulous: olives are pressed within 4-6 hours of being picked, a practice that yields a more robust, flavorful, and higher-quality oil. Lisa only sells single-varietal oils, meaning each bottle contains oil from just one type of olive, allowing its unique characteristics to shine. To guarantee freshness, every bottle is marked with a “crush date,” as olive oil should be used within a year of being pressed. Beyond the shop, Green Olive’s commitment to quality extends to their own lab, where every batch is tested for both taste and chemical composition, ensuring it meets their high standards. Lisa’s health-conscious mind was also behind the creation of Bolla, a healthy, gut-friendly sparkling water. The idea for this unique beverage came when she added a pump of different vinegars to her sparkling water which ended up being healthy, refreshing and delicious. A vinegar-based sparkling water sweetened with dates with only 40 calories and five ingredients, Bolla was created with a specific goal in mind: to offer a healthy alternative to soft drinks in schools.
How Did The Idea Come About?
Lisa’s journey to becoming the owner of Green Olive began with a career shift after her first child was born in 2008. With a background as a physician’s assistant and dietitian, she had a strong understanding of health and nutrition. However, staying home brought her a newfound passion: cooking. This passion led to an obsession with olive oil, an obsession that was first sparked while working at a similar store in Cleveland. She realized she could combine her knowledge of health, her passion for food, and her desire to raise a family into a business of her own. This realization led her to move to Columbus and open her first storefront in the Short North in 2012. A few years later she entered the North Market as a permanent fixture that blended so well with the other merchants.
What’s Your Favorite Thing About Being a Part of The North Market?
Moving her business to the North Market in 2015 was a dream come true for Lisa. She always saw Green Olive as a perfect complement to the other merchants, from the butchers to the spice shops, and it was a personal goal to be part of the vibrant community there. What she loves most is the sense of synergy and collaboration that exists among the merchants. Being part of the North Market makes Columbus feel smaller, like a close-knit village where everyone looks out for one another. Lisa feels a profound sense of community, knowing that even when she’s working late, someone else is always there, and they’re all in it together. It’s a fun and happy place that fosters a genuine sense of belonging.
What are Must Have items?
- Olive Oils
- EVOO
- Fused Lemon
- Fused Rosemary
- Tuscan Herb
- Vingegars
- Traditional
- Sicilian Lemon
- Summer – Peach
- Winter – Black Mission Fig
The Story of Green Olive and Lisa McCormack
The story of Green Olive is, at its core, the story of Lisa McCormack’s passion for people. While the products are exceptional, what truly makes the business shine for her are the connections she’s made. Her favorite part of the business is her employees. She finds immense joy in seeing them grow, like her first employee who, after working at Green Olive, went on to get a degree and a corporate job before starting his own farm. The relationships she builds with her team have made the business deeply meaningful. The second part of this joy comes from her repeat customers. She loves the look of surprise on people’s faces when they taste the quality and variety of her products for the first time. The cycle of happy customers leading to happy employees is what drives her. It’s a business that’s fun, a place where people can discover something new and delicious, and a reflection of the joy she gets from sharing her passion with others.
Website:
Merchant's operating hours:
Sunday & Monday: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday - Friday: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Saturday: 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.