Olive oil and balsamic vinegar shop opens at 2nd Street Market

DAYTON — A new business called The Olive Tree Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegars opened Thursday inside the 2nd Street Market at 600 E. Second Street just east of downtown Dayton.

The Olive Tree offers customers the chance to taste eight olive oils and eight vinegars, which can be purchased for $15 per 375-milliliter bottle.

The business is owned by Jenniffer Werneke and John Bognar of Dayton, who said they came upon a similar shop while on vacation in San Diego this summer.

“We were fascinated by the concept,” Bognar said. “All of the different flavors and varieties — we were just blown away. It was so cool we just had to try it ourselves.”

Werneke said the couple, both of whom have jobs unrelated to The Olive Tree, concluded that the 2nd Street market was a good fit for the new venture, with its foot traffic and limited hours. The market is open on Thursdays and Fridays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The eight flavored olive oils use an oil from Morocco as a base and include choices such as Persian Lime, Blood Orange and White Truffle. The two white and six traditional balsamics all come from Modena, Italy and include chocolate-flavored and chile-infused vinegars. The customer favorite on Olive Tree’s first day of business was a White Coconut Balsamic Vinegar.

A store with a similar concept, The Olive Oasis, opened about 13 months ago at 7 E. Main St. in Troy.

For more information about The Olive Tree, call (937) 938-0363.

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