Business Spotlight: Tasting creativity: Kyla Jacobs’ Olive Oils and Vinegars
By Cara Pridemore
More than 1,000 miles apart, two locations of Olive Oils and Vinegars exist. Opened in December 2013, Kyla Jacobs manages the second location in Pass Christian. Inspired by the success of her family’s original store in Northfield, Minnesota, Jacobs saw an opportunity to bring the unique concept to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
“There wasn’t anything like that, at least on the Mississippi Gulf Coast,” she said. “I thought, ‘How cool would that be to bring something like this to our community, who enjoys cooking, enjoys entertaining, and enjoys drinks.’”
In 2012, Jacobs’ father and stepmother opened the first Olive Oils and Vinegars location while Jacobs was enrolled at the University of Southern Mississippi. After graduating with a degree in interdisciplinary studies and an emphasis in nonprofit, she decided that opening a second location in Pass Christian, a city she’d lived in when she was younger, was the next best step in growing the business. Thirteen years later, she says she still enjoys the sales aspect just as much as the culinary side of her work.
Working in retail during college taught Jacobs the importance of customer service and satisfaction. While designing Pass Christian Olive Oils and Vinegars, she wanted customers to walk directly into a tasting room, where they can sample a variety of oils and vinegars before making a purchase.
“It’s more of an experience, rather than just coming in and purchasing a bottle off a shelf,” Jacobs said.
For Jacobs, developing relationships with customers is crucial in helping them find their ideal bottle of olive oil, vinegar, or pairing, which is a mix of the two in the form of a vinaigrette.
Inside the store, more than seventy different olive oils and vinegars are stored in stainless steel “fusties,” or tanks, before being transferred into one of four bottle sizes. Throughout the process, customers can sample products and create combinations that fit their preferences.
“Instead of just hoping that it will taste good, you’ll know if it tastes good,” Jacobs said.
She extends this personalized approach throughout the business. From her recycled bottle program to the recipes available online, Jacobs seeks to create an experience that goes beyond a simple transaction.
Strictly regulating sourcing ensures the premium quality of her oils and vinegars, as Jacobs moves between the Southern and the Northern hemispheres, depending on seasons and harvests. In addition, all her products come from small, family-owned farms and businesses.
The personal relationships Jacobs has cultivated with her customers, employees and suppliers has created a constant flow of recipes and new ideas, from personal experimentation to social media trends.
“Cooking is gathering, socializing and experimenting,” she said. “In my eyes, there is no wrong way.”
Among the four different categories of oils and vinegars – infused oils, fused oils, extra virgin olive oils, and balsamic vinegar – customer favorites have emerged. Garlic, butter, and Tuscan herb remain some of the most popular infused oils.
“Tuscan herb is definitely a classic bread dipper, but you can so much with it between vinaigrettes, marinades, roasting vegetables, using it in rice dishes, pasta dishes,” Jacobs said. “It is very versatile.”
For fused oils, the flavors change according to the seasons, although lemon olive oil remains a popular choice. When choosing an extra virgin olive oil, customers typically select mild, medium or robust varieties, depending on how they plan to use them. Traditional eighteen-year-aged red balsamic is the most popular vinegar, while fruit flavors are common during the summer and richer maple flavors in the winter.
“It’s all based on season and what’s available as far as fruits and vegetables,” Jacobs said. “It changes constantly.”
This variety in products reflects the variety of Jacobs’ customers. Throughout the year, the store welcomes local residents, snowbirds, summer visitors and attendees of community events. She enjoys connecting with each new crowd and forming a following within various events.
“We have created a clientele within the ‘Cruisin the Coast’ community,” Jacobs said. “It’s really a beautiful thing; we get really excited to see them. They come in, they stock up, and we’ve developed a relationship with them.”
Looking ahead, Jacobs hopes to continue expanding both the products and experiences her store offers. She plans to add more kitchenware, as well as in-store experiences, such as private tastings and cooking classes.
“We’re always trying to think of new ways to keep it interesting, always researching product knowledge – and when you talk to customers, you hear about new things,” Jacobs said. “My biggest thing is always growing, always learning.”
Throughout the history of her business, Jacobs has taken ideas and transformed them into something tangible. She brought her family’s business model from Minnesota to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, evolved to meet customers’ needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, provides shipping to anywhere in the U.S., and continues to adapt to seasonal produce changes. She says she hopes her customers leave with that same sense of creativity and the confidence to take an idea, make it their own and share it with others.
