Greg and Jo Anna Zachary opened The Oilerie in July bringing 29 olive oils from throughout the world to Montgomery County.

“I had been looking to get into a business of my own for eons,” Greg said. “I have worked for a number of smaller companies and really enjoyed that. I worked for a few big companies and thoroughly hated it.”

“Shark Tank” contestant Curt Campbell pitched his idea for The Oilerie in 2014 on the TV show, and Greg said he immediately wanted to be a part of the concept. The franchise partners with Adriano Mantova, a fourth-generation olive oil harvester with a 2,000-year-old olive tree on his family’s land in Italy.

“All of our extra-virgin olive oils come from Italy,” Greg said. “All of our balsamics come from Modena, [Italy], which is where any true balsamic comes from.”

Aside from Italy, The Oilerie stocks oils from California, Japan and France. All of the oils are kept fresh in stainless steel canisters called fustis. Customers can sample the oils in-store, and when they decide what kind they want to take home, it is bottled in front of them, directly from the fusti.

The Oilerie offers unflavored olive oils for cooking. However, there are also oils enhanced with flavors, such as almond, sesame, rosemary, garlic and citrus, for grilling and baking. Olive oils range from $16-$18, nut oils are $17.50 and balsamic oils range from $19-$23.

“Whatever oils are left over, I’ve already arranged with Interfaith of The Woodlands and the Montgomery County Food Bank to donate what we have left,” Greg said. “One, it’s going to always ensure that customers are buying the most recent fresh harvest. It also is going to introduce some folks who never would have the opportunity to include extra-virgin olive oil in their diets. It’s going to help my community out.”

Greg has also reached out to dieticians in the area for partnership opportunities because extra-virgin olive oil can help alleviate obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure, he said.

“That’s going to work out really well, too, if we can get everybody a little bit healthier all the way around,” he said.

Although The Oilerie mainly caters to individuals in search of quality olive oils, Greg said he would like to reach out to locally owned restaurants and businesses for future partnerships.

“We’re going to make our money in Montgomery County, and we’re going to contribute to Montgomery County,” he said.

Benefits of olive oil

From mental to physical health, the benefits of olive oil go deeper than cooking.

• Depression: Mediterranean-style diets are rich in olive oil, which reduces the risk of depression.
• Type 2 Diabetes: The monosaturated fats in olive oil fight Type 2 diabetes.
• Colon cancer: Spanish scientists’ research indicates olive oil reduces the chance of developing colon cancer.
• Skin cancer: Olive oil is rich in vitamins A and E, making it ideal for skin care products.
• Obesity: Olive oil can make weight control easier because of its high nutrient value.
• Damaged hair: Used as a hair mask, olive oil can repair dry, frizzy hair.
• Heart health: Olive oil can help slow the heart aging process, and its antioxidants protect red blood cells.
• Digestion: Olive oil helps stomachs feel full, faster and it slows digestion.
• Earaches: Olive oil can be used as a natural remedy to remove excess ear wax.
• Bone health: Olive oil helps prevent calcium loss in bones.