When you pair an olive oil and a vinegar together, it can change your world.
Marilyn Gensler – Grand Haven Vinegar & Oil
“When you pair an olive oil and a vinegar together, it can change your world.
We’ve been here for 11 years. I came in from Charlotte, North Carolina. My brother, who lived here at the time, called me and said, ‘I want you to come here and think about opening something.’
So I came in to help my brother and his partner open this store, and then the doors opened August 11th of 2012. Eventually, my brother and his partner left the business to do other things, but I couldn’t shut the doors because the people were so wonderful.
Besides, olive has so many health benefits, it’s just good for just about everything: gut, hair, body, skin, ears, eyes. Then you have balsamics, same thing: weight loss, blood sugar leveling out, and so on. I always say if I had to sell a dress or a shirt and it looked terrible and I had to lie to sell it, I could never do it. I can’t lie like that. But when customers come in here, I don’t have any problem because I love it, I know how to use it, and I know how good it is.
We have fused and infused products, all done over in Italy, Greece, and Spain. And let me tell you, they change everything. If you put lemon on your salmon, you can pair something like a Meyer lemon infused oil with a vinegar, brush it on, and it changes everything.
Sometimes the options can be intimidating, so for people just starting out, I give them samples. You just try it and see what you like, because everyone is different.
I was born and raised in Michigan, and was in a lot of different places before I got to Charlotte and then came here. I think Grand Haven is so precious, it’s got an old school downtown and the people are kind. We take a walk almost every night down to the pier because when you have a pier, you have to! Years ago, I remember saying, ‘Why is everyone happy here?’ And it’s because everyone is on vacation!
