In 2008 Steve Tobey opened an olive oil store in Ventura, California as a franchisee. Steve helped the franchise expand their product line and gained a loyal local customer base. Sadly, Steve passed away in March of 2012.

In the spring of 2014, Pam and Alan Davis purchased the store from the Tobey estate and continued many of the traditions Steve had introduced.

As time continued, the corporate franchiser increasingly turned their focus toward online sales. Naturally, Pam and Alan pursued ways to maintain personal service and a connection to the customers who have grown to love their products.  

As the Covid-19 pandemic took root in early 2020, Main Street was closed, and customers could only walk-in while maintaining social distancing. Pam and Alan began curbside service on South Palm Street, in addition to local deliveries.

Customers would call in orders, which resulted in personal conversations about what products and services the customers really wanted. Of course, Pam and Alan sought out suppliers for these products and implemented many of the services wanted by the customers. Within a few months, the number of olive oil and balsamic vinegar varieties offered had more than doubled and the response from customers was incredibly positive.

By the fall of 2020 it was obvious, Pam and Alan had grown well beyond the offerings of the franchise. Ultimately, Pam and Alan left the franchise and changed the store name to Olive Ventura.

In December of 2022, partners Mike McBain, Clyde and Carmel Mears purchased Olive Ventura from Pam and Alan Davis.

Mike is the founder of Central Courier, which has become the leading same-day delivery service on the Central Coast, making over a thousand deliveries a day.

Mike hired Carmel to help with his bookkeeping business. Within a short time, Carmel would become Mike’s bookkeeping manager and streamlined many business processes. Impressed with Carmel’s natural ability to operate his bookkeeping business, Mike wanted to find another business to buy and partner with Carmel. That business was Olive Ventura.

Within a few short months, Mike passed away. Mike loved life, he always had a joke to tell, and was the definition of “All things are possible”. Mike’s family remains in close contact with Clyde and Carmel and visits the store regularly.

Carmel has a natural talent for business and people. She connects with customers on a personal level and knows what the customer wants before the customer knows what they want. Carmel is always on the lookout for new and exciting items to bring into Olive Ventura. She is an excellent cook and loves to explore new ways to use Olive Ventura’s products.

Clyde is a Marine Corp veteran and has a background in retail and banking. Clyde worked at the world’s second-largest home improvement retailer and learned store operations from the ground up. Later, he would work with one of the world’s largest banks as an auditor. Currently, Clyde manages the day-to-day operations of Olive Ventura and fulfills the business networking and website needs of the store.

Clyde and Carmel travel to or ask the various California olive growers for samples of their olive oils and balsamic vinegars then taste test those oils themselves before performing a weeklong tasting with the customers who walk into the store. If the customers approve, then a new olive oil or balsamic is brought into the store.

At Olive Ventura it is our mission to provide our customers with the highest quality products and personal service.

Thank you for reading our About Us page. I hope you’ll come in and see us and talk with our knowledgeable staff. They’ll give you some delicious insights and help you discover new and exciting olive oils and balsamic combinations.

Sincerely,
Olive Ventura