Olympia Provisions facts for kids
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Formerly
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Olympic Provisions, OP Wurst |
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| Industry | Charcuterie, restaurant |
| Founded | December 1, 2009 in Portland, United States |
| Founders |
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| Headquarters | 123 Southeast 2nd Ave, , |
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Number of locations
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5 restaurants, 1 production plant |
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Area served
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United States |
| Products | Charcuterie, salami, sausages, cured meats, ham, bacon, pickles |
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Olympia Provisions is a company from Portland, Oregon, in the United States. It makes special meat products called charcuterie and also runs restaurants. It used to be called Olympic Provisions.
Contents
How Olympia Provisions Started
The company began in 2009. It was first named Olympic Provisions. It was Oregon's first USDA-approved "salumeria." A salumeria is a place that makes and sells cured meats. This first spot was a small meat-making area connected to a European-style restaurant. It was inside the old Olympic Cereal Mill building.
The people who started the company came from different backgrounds. Elias Cairo was a chef and a first-generation Greek-American. Nate Tilden also owned another restaurant called Clyde Common. Elias Cairo had the idea to open a meat plant right inside a restaurant. He teamed up with his sister Michelle, Nate Tilden, Martin Schwartz, and Tyler Gaston. Elias Cairo and Nate Tilden had worked together before at a restaurant called Castagna.
At first, Olympia Provisions sold their special salami only at farmers' markets and in their restaurant. People really liked their products, and the company became well-known across the country. They needed more space to make their meats.
In April 2011, Olympia Provisions opened a second restaurant. This new place also had a much bigger meat-making facility. Just two years later, they needed even more space! In February 2014, the meat production moved to a very large building. This new building was just a short walk from their Southeast restaurant.
Today, Olympia Provisions sells its products at many farmers' markets. These markets are all over the Pacific Northwest region. You can also find their products in stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's in the Northwest. Other special stores across the United States also sell their meats. They even have a "Salami of the Month Club" that sends salami to all fifty states!
Why the Name Changed
In September 2014, the company got a letter from the International Olympic Committee. This group owns the trademark for the word "Olympic." They wanted to protect their brand and their sponsors. When Olympia Provisions first started, they had checked for name issues, but nothing came up.
The company was originally named after the Olympic Cereal Mill building where they began. They made a deal with the International Olympic Committee. This deal allowed them to slowly change their name to Olympia Provisions throughout 2015.
Olympia Provisions Restaurants
Olympia Provisions currently has two European-style restaurants in Portland. They are called Olympia Provisions Southeast and Olympia Provisions Northwest. The first restaurant opened in 2009. It is located at 107 SE Washington St in Southeast Portland. Their second restaurant opened in April 2011. It is at 1632 NW Thurman St in Northwest Portland.
In 2018, Jessica Hereth, who managed one of their restaurants and was a sommelier (a wine expert), was recognized. Food and Wine magazine named her one of their Sommeliers of the Year.
Olympia Provisions Public House
In early 2016, Olympia Provisions opened a small bar and restaurant called OP Wurst. It was located inside Pine Street Market. This place focused on frankfurters, sausages, and beer. Later that year, they opened another OP Wurst in Oregon City at Oregon City Brewing.
In March 2017, a third OP Wurst opened. This was the first one in its own building, located on Division Street in Southeast Portland. This spot used to be a taco shop that had closed. The Division Street location has an outdoor patio. They often use it for events. In the winter, they even host a Christmas tree lot there.
In May 2018, OP Wurst changed its name to Olympia Provisions Public House. This was partly because customers didn't realize OP Wurst was part of the Olympia Provisions brand. The Public House now serves food inspired by owner Elias Cairo's time learning to cook in Switzerland.
Melty and Meaty Sandwich Eatery
On May 4, 2018, Olympia Provisions worked with Tillamook Cheese. They opened a food truck in Pioneer Courthouse Square in Downtown Portland. The truck sells six different kinds of grilled cheese sandwiches. These sandwiches use Olympia Provisions' meats and Tillamook's cheeses.
The Olympia Provisions Cookbook
Olympia Provisions released its first cookbook on October 27, 2015. Owner Elias Cairo wrote the book with co-author Meredith Erickson. It was published by Ten Speed Press.
The book shares Elias Cairo's journey through Switzerland. He completed his cooking training there when he was younger. The cookbook includes recipes from the Olympia Provisions restaurants and the meat plant. It also features recipes from his time in Switzerland. The book is divided into two main parts. One part focuses on meats, and the other has recipes from the restaurants.
