In order to take advantage of Hertel’s bustling commerce, one business owner has decided to expand her offerings. Sandy Hofschneider, owner of The House of Olives, picked up and moved across the street to 1374 Hertel Avenue, and in the process combined her offerings with a like-minded business operated by her son. The two now share a space that offers top of the line olive oils and balsamic vinegars on one side of the shop, and an approachable-yet-sophisticated wine bar on the other. Sandy runs The House of Olives, while her son Justin is busy getting his own enterprise – Wine On Hertel – off the ground.
Together, the mother-son team feels that the offerings go hand-in-hand. One of the concepts behind Wine On Hertel is to incorporate many of The House of Olives products into the menu offerings, which will ultimately pair together with the featured wines. For example, a customer will be able to walk in, sit at the bar, order a flight of wines (similar to a brewery) along with a salad, a dip, stuffed olives, or a cheese patter. Most of the Wine On Hertel food pairings will incorporate culinary elements from The House of Olives.
The business relationship is actually quite brilliant. Before teaming up with Justin, Sandy was somewhat limited in the ways that she could showcase her olive oils, vinegars, jams and jellies (made in Lewiston), Burning Asphalt sauces (made in Chautauqua), dips, gourmet ketchups and mustards, etc. With the help of Justin’s wine bar, she is now able to showcase her products in ways that were previously not possible. At the same time, Justin is able to pair his wines’ profiles with foods that will range from bruschetta to cannoli. Justin also plans on offering a number craft beers, knowing that not everyone is a wine drinker. For those that are wine enthusiasts, he plans on stocking varietals from the Mediterranean, France, Italy, California, Chile and Argentina. The pours will be healthy, and the prices will be moderate.
With the help of a fellow by the name of Peter Pitts, Justin managed to build the bar from scratch. At this point, Justin is simply waiting for his beer and wine license to come through. In the meantime, he is allowed to secure three permits, one of which he used for the Hertel Holiday Walk. “The place was packed,” he told me. “We couldn’t fit one more person in here. Everyone was saying how much they loved the wine and the food. It was a huge hit – we were able to show how we can work together as a team to highlight both of our businesses. I’m planning on using another one of the temporary permits next Saturday, so stay tuned to our Facebook page.”
Once again, Hertel is showing that its growing into a well rounded shopping destination, by establishing itself as a place to enjoy sophisticated old world and regionally inspired culinary offerings.
It is anticipated that Wine On Hertel will be fully operational sometime after the new year, but the official date could be delayed as late as March. We will keep you posted when Justin is notified by the State Liquor Authority that he is good to go. Until then, The House of Olives is conducting business as usual, while awaiting news of the wine and beer offerings to come.
The House of Olives | 1374 Hertel Avenue | Buffalo, New York | (716) 876-6457 | Facebook
Wine On Hertel | 1370 Hertel Avenue | Buffalo, New York | (716) 876-6457 | Facebook