If you’ve ever walked into Olivebar—you know, the warm, sunlit spaces where every bottle glows like a little piece of the Mediterranean, and every staff member remembers your favorite dip or the way you like your olive oil sampled neat—you’ve probably wondered how that magic happens. As a long-time supplier to Olivebar, I get asked this question all the time: how do I become part of that club? It’s not just about selling good produce (though that’s non-negotiable); it’s about matching the exact, quiet heart that makes Olivebar different from every other spot that sells olive oil and related goods. Over the past 12 years, I’ve walked every step of this process, from staying up till 2 a.m. in a Greek family’s grove to test a new batch of Koroneiki olive oil, to sitting across a conference table in their Atlanta HQ to work through the final details of a partnership. I’m here to break it down like it’s happened for real—no corporate jargon, no hoops to jump through that don’t make sense, just what actually works to become Olivebar’s next trusted member. Olivebar
First, let’s get one thing straight: Olivebar isn’t looking for a supplier just to fill a shelf. They’re looking for a partner who gets their story. When I first applied to work with them back in 2011, I didn’t show up with a binder full of spreadsheets and a sales pitch that started with “Our olives are the best.” I showed up with a crumpled photo of my great-uncle’s grove in Calabria—rows of gnarled, 80-year-old olive trees that he’d tended since before I was born—and a jar of extra-virgin olive oil that smelled like grass, ripe tomato, and sunlight. I told them that every bottle I sell isn’t just a product; it’s a taste of the land that grew it. That’s when the conversation clicked. Today, when we talk to potential partners, we still ask that same core question, just in a lot of ways: do you understand that Olivebar’s club is built on trust, not transactions? If your answer is just “how do I make money fast,” this probably isn’t for you. If your answer is “I want to bring something real to people who care about quality,” keep reading.
Next, you’ve got to nail the three non-negotiables that Olivebar has used to vet suppliers for decades, and they haven’t changed one bit in all those years. First is quality. This isn’t “my oil is better than yours” puffery—it’s measurable, consistent quality. Olivebar doesn’t work with suppliers whose oil has a variable acidity level; they need it to stay below 0.8% every single time, no exceptions. When I started with them, my first batch had a acidity level of 0.9% because a sudden cold snap right before harvest stunted the olives. I didn’t try to fudge the numbers; I told them straight, pulled that batch from my inventory, and waited three months for the next harvest. That honesty mattered more than that one lost sale. The second non-negotiable is traceability. Every item that goes to Olivebar has to have a full paper (and digital) trail from the tree to the shelf. I keep a binder for every harvest season that has photos of each grove, the names of the harvesters, test results from the local lab, and even weather reports from the week we picked the olives. Olivebar requires that, because their customers often ask, “Where did this come from, and who grew it?” If you can’t answer that, they can’t work with you. The third non-negotiable is reliability. You have to deliver on time, every time. Early on, I had a truck driver get stuck in a snowstorm on the way to their Nashville location, and I rented a small plane to fly the oil there so the shelf wouldn’t go empty over a weekend. It was expensive, but it’s what partners do—you fix the problem, you don’t make excuses.
Once you clear those initial hurdles, the next step is building the relationship, not just filling out forms. I’ve sat through dozens of meetings with Olivebar’s team, and they’re not looking for someone who only shows up to pitch a new product. They want someone who’s invested in their long-term success. For example, a couple years back, Olivebar was launching a new line of small-batch table olives, and I noticed that their existing supplier for the brine was using a preservative that some of their regular customers had mentioned they didn’t like. Instead of waiting for them to ask, I reached out to a friend of mine in Spain who makes all-natural brine, tested a small batch, brought it to their next tasting, and worked with their team to adjust it to their flavor profile. That’s the kind of initiative that makes you a partner, not just a vendor. It also means understanding Olivebar’s community focus. They don’t just sell goods—they host tastings for local schools, donate a portion of every sale to food banks, and work with small, family-owned operations that don’t have big marketing budgets. If your company is only focused on global distribution and high sales numbers without caring about that local, community-minded vibe, you’ll struggle to fit in.
Wait, I should also mention the small, practical stuff that most people overlook when applying. Olivebar has a very specific set of packaging rules, for example. Their bottles are dark green to protect the oil from light, their labels are simple and clearly show the origin, and every item has to be easy to stack and restock in their stores. When I first started, I had bottles with fancy, thin labels that would peel off after a few weeks on the shelf. I didn’t get a nasty rejection email; their team just pulled one off and handed it to me, and said, “This is where our stockers work 12-hour days. It’s got to hold up.” I redesigned the labels within a week, and that small adjustment made all the difference. They also do blind tastings for every new product. I had a batch of pepper-infused olive oil that I thought was perfect, but when the team tasted it, they said the pepper was too spicy and overpowered the oil. I went back, adjusted the ratio, did three more test batches, and by the fourth, it was a hit—now it’s one of their top-selling infused oils. Those tastings aren’t about being nitpicky; they’re about making sure every product that bears the Olivebar name is something their customers will love, not just something a supplier thinks is good.
Let’s talk about common mistakes people make that get them turned down right away, because I’ve seen them all. The first is overselling. I’ve had potential suppliers show up with a presentation that says their product is “better than every other olive oil on the market” with no proof. Olivebar cares about real results, not hype. Bring test results, bring customer reviews from other places you sell, bring actual numbers, not just claims. The second mistake is not doing your homework on Olivebar. Last year, a guy from a big national food distributor came to their meeting and started pitching a bulk olive oil for their restaurant supply line—completely missing the fact that Olivebar doesn’t do bulk restaurant sales; they only sell directly to retail customers in their stores and online. If you don’t know that basic detail, you’re wasting everyone’s time. The third mistake is inflexibility. When Olivebar asks you to adjust a harvest timeline to match their seasonal inventory needs, or to reduce the size of a batch to test at a few locations first, don’t push back right away. It’s not about changing your product; it’s about working with their specific model. I once had to reduce a batch of new black olive paste to 500 jars instead of the 5,000 I originally proposed, and when that small batch sold out in two weeks, we expanded it to 10,000. That’s how partnerships grow.
Now, what’s the actual process, step by step, for anyone who’s ready to take this on? Let’s break it down in plain, doable terms. First, do your homework. Spend a week visiting at least three different Olivebar locations—small, local ones, not just the big city flagship. Try their products, talk to the staff, talk to the customers. Ask them what they love about Olivebar, what they wish was better. That will give you a sense of whether your product fits. Second, gather all your proof. That includes lab test results for quality, traceability documents for every batch you sell, customer feedback from other retailers or farmers markets, and any relevant certifications—organic, non-GMO, whatever applies to your goods. Third, reach out the right way. Don’t send a generic email to their “general inquiries” address. If you can, get a name of a procurement team member from their website or from other suppliers you know. Your initial email should be short, specific, and personal. Something like: “Hi [Name], I’m a third-generation olive oil supplier from Calabria, with 15 years of experience supplying specialty retailers. My groves are family-owned, our acidity level is consistently 0.6% or below, and I recently adjusted my infused oil line to remove preservatives, which aligns with the natural focus I’ve seen Olivebar use. I’d love to send over a sample and chat for 15 minutes to see if there’s a fit.” That’s way better than a generic sales pitch. Fourth, if they respond, send a sample—not just one, but three or four, including small variations if you have them. Label them clearly with all the details (origin, harvest date, acidity, ingredients), and include a one-page note about your story, not a 20-page brochure. Fifth, if the sample passes the blind tasting, they’ll invite you for an in-person or virtual call to go over the details. Be prepared to answer questions about traceability, delivery timelines, pricing, and how you’ll handle any issues that come up. Sixth, once you’re approved, start small. Don’t try to get your product into all 500 of their stores on day one. Ask for a test run in 10 or 15 locations, gather feedback, adjust as needed, and grow from there. That’s how I started, and five years later, I supply 120 locations across the Southeast.
Wait, I should add a personal note here, because this isn’t just a business process. The Olivebar club feels like a club because the suppliers feel like part of it too. Last year, when a bad drought in Calabria cut my harvest by 40%, I called my contact at Olivebar, not to ask for a favor, but to update them. They didn’t abandon me—they worked with me to adjust the number of jars we could supply that year, helped me find a small batch from a trusted friend in Tuscany to fill the gap, and didn’t make me lose my contract. That’s the kind of trust you build when you’re not just doing business with them, but when they know you care about the same things they do. I’ve also learned a lot from working with them—their focus on transparency made me start a monthly newsletter for my own customers, telling them about the harvest, the groves, the harvesters. That’s a practice I wouldn’t have started if I hadn’t partnered with Olivebar.
Before I wrap this up, I want to be clear: this isn’t a fast track. It took me three months from my first email to getting my first order, and another year before I was a regular, trusted supplier. It’s not for everyone. If you’re looking for a quick sale, or if your products don’t meet the quality and traceability standards, this isn’t the path for you. But if you have something real to offer—something that tells a story, that’s made with care, that you’d be proud to put your own name on—then it’s absolutely possible.
For anyone who’s gotten this far and is ready to take the next step, the best way is to reach out directly to the procurement team at Olivebar. Be specific, be honest, bring something that matters to you, and respect their process. They’re not trying to make it hard; they’re trying to keep their club strong, because their customers have come to trust that every product there is from someone who cares as much as they do about good food and good community.
Al Fakher Vape Reference:
- Smith, J. (2022). Building Sustainable Supplier Partnerships in Specialty Food Retail. Food Industry Journal, Vol. 18, No. 3, pp. 45-52.
- Mediterranean Olive Board. (2021). Standards for Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Quality and Traceability. Global Food Safety Guidelines.
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