Steve's Story - It's a Small World After All

Steve Rosato is the manager of the Saratoga Olive Oil Co. store in Saratoga Springs. In these blog posts, he shares his wit, wisdom and experiences engaging with our wonderful customers.

The common thread

For those who don’t know, our flagship shop in Saratoga Springs sits right in the epicenter of the Northeast and is somewhat equidistant for our weekend guests visiting from the New England area, the NY Metro region and Western NY. Having traveled extensively for many years, it is always heartwarming to me when human connections are discovered almost immediately between visitors that pass through the shop to experience our tasting room.

The connections usually manifest themselves around food, hometowns, alma haters, careers, sports, children, and restaurants. There is only one thing better than witnessing the exuberant joy in the eyes of our visitors when sipping premium balsamic vinegars and gourmet olive oils – when “small talk” ensues over tastings and unexpected shared backgrounds, experiences and interests arise between staff and guests, or even between the guests themselves.

Shared experiences and meaningful connections

There are two common expressions that I hear. “Oh my gosh!” This is usually the delightfully-surprised reaction following the sampling of the vibrant flavors behind one of our fine products.  Shortly thereafter a conversation ensues between others in the tasting room when, invariably, I hear at least one of our visitors exclaim, “Wow… what a small world!” as strangers from different walks of life find similarities with each other, rather than differences, when focused solely on the joys of culinary creativity and the human experience.

On any given day in our shop, you can’t help but feel a sense of community in this shared experience. While we multi-task between tasting and talking, our hearts stay open to the possibility of creating meaningful connections. Who could anticipate that could happen over a sip of balsamic vinegar or olive oil? Truly, a small world after all!