Season 4 Episode 2
Graza Co-founder Andrew Benin
Curtis Cord
Andrew Benin. It’s so nice to be speaking with you.
Andrew Benin. It’s so nice to be speaking with you.
Andrew Benin
I think I’m happier to be speaking to you. I’ve learned so much from you, or people that write for you or people that are in your world.
I think I’m happier to be speaking to you. I’ve learned so much from you, or people that write for you or people that are in your world.
Curtis Cord
I’m glad to hear that. But I’ve been learning about you and your incredible project and, uh, haven’t done one of these podcasts in a while. And I had to dust it off for this conversation because it’s not every day that something like this comes up in the olive oil world that we see this kind of, I guess, disruption you could call it.
I’m glad to hear that. But I’ve been learning about you and your incredible project and, uh, haven’t done one of these podcasts in a while. And I had to dust it off for this conversation because it’s not every day that something like this comes up in the olive oil world that we see this kind of, I guess, disruption you could call it.
Andrew Benin
You could call it that. It’s funny, Curtis, because right, like, it doesn’t happen in olive oil because every single time someone wants to start something in olive oil, the first pushback is it’s so saturated, there’s so much competition, the set is crazy. And it’s like, so what? You know, go, go for it.
You could call it that. It’s funny, Curtis, because right, like, it doesn’t happen in olive oil because every single time someone wants to start something in olive oil, the first pushback is it’s so saturated, there’s so much competition, the set is crazy. And it’s like, so what? You know, go, go for it.
Curtis Cord
It’s intimidating to a lot of people. I speak with a lot of folks who, you know, they have family that makes olive oil in Greece. They have family that, you know, they’ve three generations have made olive oil in Italy or Spain. It’s an incredibly intimidating marketplace, and I feel for them because it’s, this business is infamous as I’m sure you know, for being hard to make a buck.
It’s intimidating to a lot of people. I speak with a lot of folks who, you know, they have family that makes olive oil in Greece. They have family that, you know, they’ve three generations have made olive oil in Italy or Spain. It’s an incredibly intimidating marketplace, and I feel for them because it’s, this business is infamous as I’m sure you know, for being hard to make a buck.
Andrew Benin
Yeah. I mean, it’s crazy. The bulk holders right now are making out like bandits, Pompean’s making out like bandits right now. It’s not like their jobs are easy either, but scale is definitely making things easier right now for creating some division between smaller producers that have a hard time getting their message out there. And I learned a lot about olive oil from Kathryn Tomajan at Fat Gold. You know, Kathryn’s amazing, and I went out and visited her in Berkeley, and there’s no shortage of amazing olive oil out there. But getting it out to people and educating people and informing people and having people be aware of your olive oil and the benefits of olive oil as a whole, and all the time selling high-quality olive oil. It’s not easy. Our team is incredibly overworked and, and ambitious, but it’s not easy. But it’s, it’s also so rewarding.
Yeah. I mean, it’s crazy. The bulk holders right now are making out like bandits, Pompean’s making out like bandits right now. It’s not like their jobs are easy either, but scale is definitely making things easier right now for creating some division between smaller producers that have a hard time getting their message out there. And I learned a lot about olive oil from Kathryn Tomajan at Fat Gold. You know, Kathryn’s amazing, and I went out and visited her in Berkeley, and there’s no shortage of amazing olive oil out there. But getting it out to people and educating people and informing people and having people be aware of your olive oil and the benefits of olive oil as a whole, and all the time selling high-quality olive oil. It’s not easy. Our team is incredibly overworked and, and ambitious, but it’s not easy. But it’s, it’s also so rewarding.
Curtis Cord
I wanna tell you where I came across your olive oil for the first time. Yeah. I had seen it out of the corner of my eye here and there. We are so media- saturated these days. You don’t always take note of something when you glance at it real quick. And sometimes it takes a kind of a repeated exposure, at least to me before it gets through this, this thick skull of mine. But I had seen it out of the corner of my eye maybe, you know, 15, 16 months ago and didn’t make much note of it. And then I was in Nantucket. In this whitewashed art gallery slash clothing shop on Nantucket where, uh, you know, everything’s really super expensive. Your two green squeeze bottles were displayed between probably a $200 cashmere scarf on one side and mother-of-pearl bottle openers on the other. And I was, you know, I was like, what? Yeah. And then I really started to notice, and then after that, just a few days later, I saw it at an upscale food market, then an Italian deli. And then I’m, you know, I’m seeing this thing everywhere. Yeah. And I was like, wow, this, this is something new.
I wanna tell you where I came across your olive oil for the first time. Yeah. I had seen it out of the corner of my eye here and there. We are so media- saturated these days. You don’t always take note of something when you glance at it real quick. And sometimes it takes a kind of a repeated exposure, at least to me before it gets through this, this thick skull of mine. But I had seen it out of the corner of my eye maybe, you know, 15, 16 months ago and didn’t make much note of it. And then I was in Nantucket. In this whitewashed art gallery slash clothing shop on Nantucket where, uh, you know, everything’s really super expensive. Your two green squeeze bottles were displayed between probably a $200 cashmere scarf on one side and mother-of-pearl bottle openers on the other. And I was, you know, I was like, what? Yeah. And then I really started to notice, and then after that, just a few days later, I saw it at an upscale food market, then an Italian deli. And then I’m, you know, I’m seeing this thing everywhere. Yeah. And I was like, wow, this, this is something new.
Andrew Benin
Yeah.
Yeah.
Curtis Cord
You launched on February 11th, 2022. That’s 17 months ago.
You launched on February 11th, 2022. That’s 17 months ago.
Andrew Benin
Yep.
Yep.
Curtis Cord
Took you about 18 months before that to get it off the ground.
Took you about 18 months before that to get it off the ground.
Andrew Benin
Yep.
Yep.
Curtis Cord
And according to your website, you’re in some 2,000 stores across the country already, and you’re growing like crazy.
And according to your website, you’re in some 2,000 stores across the country already, and you’re growing like crazy.
Andrew Benin
I think we’re at 2,800 stores as of today.
I think we’re at 2,800 stores as of today.
Curtis Cord
Almost 3,000 stores. So legend has it that you were staying with the in-laws, I guess near Cordoba,
Almost 3,000 stores. So legend has it that you were staying with the in-laws, I guess near Cordoba,
Andrew Benin
Uh, Cádiz
Uh, Cádiz
Curtis Cord
Okay, Cádiz. Yeah. You were between jobs and you were staying at the in-law’s house in, in southern Spain, and you took, uh, the opal out for a drive, right? I think it was an opal…
Okay, Cádiz. Yeah. You were between jobs and you were staying at the in-law’s house in, in southern Spain, and you took, uh, the opal out for a drive, right? I think it was an opal…
Andrew Benin
Opal Corso.
Opal Corso.
Curtis Cord
And you drove through this, what we know as the Sea of Olives. Yeah. Unbelievable landscape in southern Spain. I guess you could say you were moved, right?
And you drove through this, what we know as the Sea of Olives. Yeah. Unbelievable landscape in southern Spain. I guess you could say you were moved, right?
Andrew Benin
I was, yeah. I think anyone that was lucky enough to take that journey with an open mind would be moved visually, uh, in a sensory basis, tasting, smelling, and just understanding the expanse, uh, and the culture and the commitment and the pride of these regions for producing something so delicious and so amazing. I didn’t know that I was gonna start an olive oil business at that point, but, and even after my first trip, it took some time to flush out the concept, because I think what happens to people in olive oil is olive oil for a long time has been pegged to wine. And what separates one wine from another wine is usually a label, a region, a price point, a story, right? And there’s a lot of money to be made in getting someone to buy a 35 or $40 bottle of wine. Um, and that’s not a knock on small wine producers that have extremely labor, extreme labor costs.
But olive oil for some reason got coupled into that. And you’re in the small villages in Spain, and even before I got to Jaén, and I’m trying, you know, recently pressed unfiltered co-op oil where people are coming and walking with five liter jugs. I’m seeing olives that have fallen off the trees getting delivered for the virgin press. And, you know, it’s just, I’m, I’m in the middle of it and I’m thinking, man, I could, I could sell this stuff. It’s amazing. I don’t think anyone’s ever tried anything like this. Um, kind of naive, you know. So this trip I went back to, to the states and I had spent some time working as a stage at Gramercy Tavern, which is right in, in the city. And I did a tasting with the chef, and I had bought, I brought six oils, and he was like, you know, these are, these are amazing oils.
Um, what’s your idea here? And I was like, you know, I’m gonna purvey the most amazing oils. Uh, and he was like, well, we definitely don’t need another one of those people in the world. There are plenty of them, there are plenty of them in this zip code. We don’t need another person slinging truffles and oil and Jamon, and we need good olive oil for everyone. Most of the country needs, we’ve still only have 50% household penetration in North America. We’re already the biggest importer, and we’re still not halfway there. So I went back to Spain and like everything changed. Right. Then it was off to Jaén, off to the real well of, of olive oil.
I was, yeah. I think anyone that was lucky enough to take that journey with an open mind would be moved visually, uh, in a sensory basis, tasting, smelling, and just understanding the expanse, uh, and the culture and the commitment and the pride of these regions for producing something so delicious and so amazing. I didn’t know that I was gonna start an olive oil business at that point, but, and even after my first trip, it took some time to flush out the concept, because I think what happens to people in olive oil is olive oil for a long time has been pegged to wine. And what separates one wine from another wine is usually a label, a region, a price point, a story, right? And there’s a lot of money to be made in getting someone to buy a 35 or $40 bottle of wine. Um, and that’s not a knock on small wine producers that have extremely labor, extreme labor costs.
But olive oil for some reason got coupled into that. And you’re in the small villages in Spain, and even before I got to Jaén, and I’m trying, you know, recently pressed unfiltered co-op oil where people are coming and walking with five liter jugs. I’m seeing olives that have fallen off the trees getting delivered for the virgin press. And, you know, it’s just, I’m, I’m in the middle of it and I’m thinking, man, I could, I could sell this stuff. It’s amazing. I don’t think anyone’s ever tried anything like this. Um, kind of naive, you know. So this trip I went back to, to the states and I had spent some time working as a stage at Gramercy Tavern, which is right in, in the city. And I did a tasting with the chef, and I had bought, I brought six oils, and he was like, you know, these are, these are amazing oils.
Um, what’s your idea here? And I was like, you know, I’m gonna purvey the most amazing oils. Uh, and he was like, well, we definitely don’t need another one of those people in the world. There are plenty of them, there are plenty of them in this zip code. We don’t need another person slinging truffles and oil and Jamon, and we need good olive oil for everyone. Most of the country needs, we’ve still only have 50% household penetration in North America. We’re already the biggest importer, and we’re still not halfway there. So I went back to Spain and like everything changed. Right. Then it was off to Jaén, off to the real well of, of olive oil.
Curtis Cord
So you did a tasting with him and he said, we don’t need a, we don’t need an expensive, you know, bougie oil. We need something that, that can reach more people.
So you did a tasting with him and he said, we don’t need a, we don’t need an expensive, you know, bougie oil. We need something that, that can reach more people.
Andrew Benin
Yep, exactly. Exactly
Yep, exactly. Exactly
Curtis Cord
That. And so tell me why you chose Picual.
That. And so tell me why you chose Picual.
Andrew Benin
If you’re going around Spain right now, even I am, when new people are pitching me to be a source of oil for Graza, right. Since since the New York Times article came out, and we’ve actually had some media coverage in Spain, now everyone wants to work with Graza. Usually people don’t work with Picual because they are trying to create a product or a flavor profile that they think is going to be a friendly companion to the American palette. They think mm-hmm. that a desire for fruitier more neutral-tasting oils is what we want. And maybe at a point it was, maybe for some people it still is, but instead of creating something that the consumer wants or is expected to want, our goal was to create, in our opinion, the best tasting, the most oxid stable product that’s gonna hold up to cross Atlantic transport some time on the shelf and had an aggressive flavor profile. And I think we were realists in thinking that, well, yes, Picual might be, you know, very punchy, very back of the throat, very grassy. I don’t even like all the olive oil nomenclature, to be honest. It’s a punchy olive oil you…
If you’re going around Spain right now, even I am, when new people are pitching me to be a source of oil for Graza, right. Since since the New York Times article came out, and we’ve actually had some media coverage in Spain, now everyone wants to work with Graza. Usually people don’t work with Picual because they are trying to create a product or a flavor profile that they think is going to be a friendly companion to the American palette. They think mm-hmm. that a desire for fruitier more neutral-tasting oils is what we want. And maybe at a point it was, maybe for some people it still is, but instead of creating something that the consumer wants or is expected to want, our goal was to create, in our opinion, the best tasting, the most oxid stable product that’s gonna hold up to cross Atlantic transport some time on the shelf and had an aggressive flavor profile. And I think we were realists in thinking that, well, yes, Picual might be, you know, very punchy, very back of the throat, very grassy. I don’t even like all the olive oil nomenclature, to be honest. It’s a punchy olive oil you…
Curtis Cord
Wrote about Picual: “It doesn’t hold back when it comes to flavor and shamelessly slaps you in the face each time you eat it.”
Wrote about Picual: “It doesn’t hold back when it comes to flavor and shamelessly slaps you in the face each time you eat it.”
Andrew Benin
Yeah. But the reality is, if you’re putting our sizzle, our, our December harvest Picual in a pan with a steak or some potatoes or some green beans, or on a sheet pan like that, that’s not gonna come through that slap in the face. Right. Other things are gonna come through, and if you’re putting our drizzle, our early harvest on, uh, heirloom tomato sandwich or a salad, now you got a bunch of umami going on. Like we were betting on the marriage of what people are cooking rather than the isolated oil flavor.
Yeah. But the reality is, if you’re putting our sizzle, our, our December harvest Picual in a pan with a steak or some potatoes or some green beans, or on a sheet pan like that, that’s not gonna come through that slap in the face. Right. Other things are gonna come through, and if you’re putting our drizzle, our early harvest on, uh, heirloom tomato sandwich or a salad, now you got a bunch of umami going on. Like we were betting on the marriage of what people are cooking rather than the isolated oil flavor.
Curtis Cord
Well, it also happens to be a supply fire hose, right. I mean, it’s the most abundantly cultivated olive in the world. Yeah. So it, it kind of makes sense from a scalability perspective to try to get people to like its properties, which is not difficult to do. Picual is a fantastic olive. Yeah. That’s why it’s the, you know, one of the reasons why it’s the most ubiquitous on earth.
Well, it also happens to be a supply fire hose, right. I mean, it’s the most abundantly cultivated olive in the world. Yeah. So it, it kind of makes sense from a scalability perspective to try to get people to like its properties, which is not difficult to do. Picual is a fantastic olive. Yeah. That’s why it’s the, you know, one of the reasons why it’s the most ubiquitous on earth.
Andrew Benin
But unfortunately there’s a massive movement for high-density varietals all being one that is impossible. They’re even, you know, crossbreeding, hybridizing in, in Zaragoza with, you know, high-density varietals to make it possible, but mm-hmm. You know, for us, these trees, the history, the state at which these trees are in their life cycle, the consistency and the micro climactic differences, even in Jaén, in Picual were something that we just wanted to be involved in. And the story is simple, or one varietal, every bottle is oil from one farm. So we work with a variety of them, but we don’t mix them all together, you know? I don’t know. It’s great. And yeah, Spain, Jaén is Picual, and, and people know it.
But unfortunately there’s a massive movement for high-density varietals all being one that is impossible. They’re even, you know, crossbreeding, hybridizing in, in Zaragoza with, you know, high-density varietals to make it possible, but mm-hmm. You know, for us, these trees, the history, the state at which these trees are in their life cycle, the consistency and the micro climactic differences, even in Jaén, in Picual were something that we just wanted to be involved in. And the story is simple, or one varietal, every bottle is oil from one farm. So we work with a variety of them, but we don’t mix them all together, you know? I don’t know. It’s great. And yeah, Spain, Jaén is Picual, and, and people know it.
Curtis Cord
Yeah. Andrew, I like that you don’t seem hell-bent on growing market share by trash-talking other brands and producers around the world who are also working hard to provide a product that we all need.
Yeah. Andrew, I like that you don’t seem hell-bent on growing market share by trash-talking other brands and producers around the world who are also working hard to provide a product that we all need.
Andrew Benin
Yeah, that’s a hundred percent true. I mean, especially going through this, you, you understand how difficult it is Hmm. And how difficult it is to garner resources to do these things. Banks in Europe aren’t gonna support small producers. The last industry they want to get involved in is olive oil because they know it’s volatile. You know? Then there’s the big companies that have worked hard to garner their market share, and I’ve visited them, they have sophisticated laboratories. They’re not selling cut and rancid oils. That story is so outdated, and it’s not the story that we take, but, you know, what Graza is doing is selling what we think is a superior quality olive oil at a palatable premium is how, how we like to call it, it’s not the cheapest oil out there, but you can get a bottle of sizzle for 13, 14 bucks out there, you know?
Yeah, that’s a hundred percent true. I mean, especially going through this, you, you understand how difficult it is Hmm. And how difficult it is to garner resources to do these things. Banks in Europe aren’t gonna support small producers. The last industry they want to get involved in is olive oil because they know it’s volatile. You know? Then there’s the big companies that have worked hard to garner their market share, and I’ve visited them, they have sophisticated laboratories. They’re not selling cut and rancid oils. That story is so outdated, and it’s not the story that we take, but, you know, what Graza is doing is selling what we think is a superior quality olive oil at a palatable premium is how, how we like to call it, it’s not the cheapest oil out there, but you can get a bottle of sizzle for 13, 14 bucks out there, you know?
Curtis Cord
Right. Where are you bottling it?
Right. Where are you bottling it?
Andrew Benin
Uh, we’re bottling it in Jaén. Our whole supply chain is in Jaén.
Uh, we’re bottling it in Jaén. Our whole supply chain is in Jaén.
Curtis Cord
Have you considered bottling here?
Have you considered bottling here?
Andrew Benin
It’s hard not to. There, there are certain efficiencies. Mm-hmm., I think that the interchange of oil through multiple steps in, you know, either balloon containers or if you’re lucky enough in, you know, 300,000 kilo vessels, um, I don’t think our drizzle could stand up to the test. I think that if we’re paying a premium for that product, it has to be bottled as close to the source as possible and not go from tube to truck, from truck to pallet to or to, to balloon container or vessel, and then offload it into another truck. I kind of want to get it into a little opaque bottle and, and induction seal it as quick as I can. Bottling in the states, you know, it’s attractive because you can bring in oil from the southern hemisphere, you can bring in oil from various locations and, and try to maintain a constant flow of fresh product. It’s definitely attractive. But, you know, part of me loves operating in Spain. I love being close to the source. I love being able to evaluate it right before it goes in the bottle. You know, I’m in Spain right now.
It’s hard not to. There, there are certain efficiencies. Mm-hmm.
Curtis Cord
When you set out to start an olive oil company, you went big. I’ve met countless people who start off with a pallet and they make a nice label for the bottle, and they get out there at farmer’s markets, or they try to put up a website and they try to post on social media and then, you know, they’re kind of an organic, uh, little by little. You went big, you got funding, you found people to help you with branding, with packaging. You have teams for, for wholesale and, and sales. And you have a co-founder who takes care of that part of it. What made you do that? I know that you worked with some consumer brands. You have experience working with big companies and you’ve, I guess, was it because you kind of came from there that, you know, you were driving through Jaén and you wanna start an olive oil company. What’s the first thing you do? Well, you go out and formulate this with some financial partners. I mean, what made you go big like that?
When you set out to start an olive oil company, you went big. I’ve met countless people who start off with a pallet and they make a nice label for the bottle, and they get out there at farmer’s markets, or they try to put up a website and they try to post on social media and then, you know, they’re kind of an organic, uh, little by little. You went big, you got funding, you found people to help you with branding, with packaging. You have teams for, for wholesale and, and sales. And you have a co-founder who takes care of that part of it. What made you do that? I know that you worked with some consumer brands. You have experience working with big companies and you’ve, I guess, was it because you kind of came from there that, you know, you were driving through Jaén and you wanna start an olive oil company. What’s the first thing you do? Well, you go out and formulate this with some financial partners. I mean, what made you go big like that?
Andrew Benin
I mean, I think that I definitely have some uncontrollable ambition., unless you wanna start a business that’s going to hinder your happiness in your career, I think, um, you might be perceived as a very effective big thinking employee putting in a lot of effort, but that eventually runs out. Eventually your ambition exceeds what the business can support. And starting your own business is maybe the only way to funnel that ambition into something that can support the velocity at which you naturally go doesn’t mean it’s gonna succeed. But that was kind of my logic. I didn’t wanna sell one bottle of olive oil and then leave it up to fate. You know, I wanted to make a system that people can consume and continue to purchase this quality of olive oil and use it so habitually that it becomes a fixture in their lives.
And in turn, right, there’s this macro thesis, this long-winded goal of like, Hey, can we extend life expectancy by a few days just by having fun and selling something that is so delicious mm-hmm. at a price that with scale, obviously we’re gonna continue to work on driving down. It’s not a knock on anybody else, but I, I wanted to sell 12 bottles of each of these to every single person. Yeah. Every single year. And to do that, uh, you needed to seem big. And, and funding, I mean, our funding came in post-launch primarily. We had raised only, I think only, uh, we’re lucky $230,000. But when you’re building a brand in New York and you’re buying olive oil, which you know, is expensive unless you’re growing it yourself and milling it at a partner mill down the road, if I’m buying olive oil, it’s expensive. It’s a lot of cash out the door. So even though we’ve seemed big, we sold out of our first I inventory in, you know, 48 hours, uh, we bought maybe 50,000 kilos of oil. And we were like, this is awesome. We’ve got, you know, we spend our 200 grand on oil where we’re sitting pretty, and then it, it was difficult because we needed to find funding and we needed to buy more oil.
I mean, I think that I definitely have some uncontrollable ambition.
And in turn, right, there’s this macro thesis, this long-winded goal of like, Hey, can we extend life expectancy by a few days just by having fun and selling something that is so delicious mm-hmm.
Curtis Cord
Pre-launch you had a couple hundred grand. It, it wasn’t until after your launch that you raised, I guess another what, two and a half million so far?
Pre-launch you had a couple hundred grand. It, it wasn’t until after your launch that you raised, I guess another what, two and a half million so far?
Andrew Benin
Correct.
Correct.
Curtis Cord
Yeah. Uh, that’s interesting. So you really needed to get it up, up and off the ground with, with limited means. I guess you’re up against some other companies who might even have bigger war chests at this point. Right?
Yeah. Uh, that’s interesting. So you really needed to get it up, up and off the ground with, with limited means. I guess you’re up against some other companies who might even have bigger war chests at this point. Right?
Andrew Benin
For sure. War chest helps. We all are subject to very similar purchasing terms, except for a few large brands that have very strategic partnerships, um, that don’t get them preferential pricing, because that would explode the cooperative model, as we all know. But they do get preferential terms, which make certain things possible. So you do need a war chest to grow here for sure. Um, makes, it makes it a lot easier. I wish we had one.
For sure. War chest helps. We all are subject to very similar purchasing terms, except for a few large brands that have very strategic partnerships, um, that don’t get them preferential pricing, because that would explode the cooperative model, as we all know. But they do get preferential terms, which make certain things possible. So you do need a war chest to grow here for sure. Um, makes, it makes it a lot easier. I wish we had one.
Curtis Cord
There was the time you called out Brightland for coming out with a squeeze bottle, a little one-sided spat, which which truly went viral. Yeah. And some of the comments were like, you know, you didn’t invent the squeeze bottle chefs have been using it forever. Yeah. But you did invent it. No one had ever marketed all oil the way you did. It is groundbreaking. I, for one, think that, uh, that you’ve done a brilliant job. My question here is, because there’s not much more to add to that, to that viral story that everybody was following about, about you and that competition. My question is, New York Times was covering this quarrel – Garza declined to comment. Alright, so my question to you is, who declines to comment to the New York Times?
There was the time you called out Brightland for coming out with a squeeze bottle, a little one-sided spat, which which truly went viral. Yeah. And some of the comments were like, you know, you didn’t invent the squeeze bottle chefs have been using it forever. Yeah. But you did invent it. No one had ever marketed all oil the way you did. It is groundbreaking. I, for one, think that, uh, that you’ve done a brilliant job. My question here is, because there’s not much more to add to that, to that viral story that everybody was following about, about you and that competition. My question is, New York Times was covering this quarrel – Garza declined to comment. Alright, so my question to you is, who declines to comment to the New York Times
Andrew Benin
Yeah, that was tough.
Yeah, that was tough.
Curtis Cord
When New York Times sends you an email, you answer the email, come on, Andrew.
When New York Times sends you an email, you answer the email, come on, Andrew.
Andrew Benin
I very much wanted to answer the email, but I was in a raw emotional state, and I was advised every single day. I mean, I was taking calls at three, four, or five in the morning, uh, with our PR team begging me to stop. Uh, it was the right advice. It was, it was absolutely the right advice.. I, I, you know, it just so happened that without us knowing we got covered in Wirecutter, you know, a month later. Yeah. And we had no idea. So, um, do I think that, uh, Graza deserves credit for bringing this format to market and marketing it and making it ubiquitous? Of course.
I very much wanted to answer the email, but I was in a raw emotional state, and I was advised every single day. I mean, I was taking calls at three, four, or five in the morning, uh, with our PR team begging me to stop. Uh, it was the right advice. It was, it was absolutely the right advice.
Curtis Cord
Hundred percent.
Hundred percent.
Andrew Benin
Yeah. Um, was I wrong to incite the public domain and call somebody else out? A hundred percent. Um, but I think that the whole experience showed resilience in our brand, because one thing that’s obvious about us is that we’re not a founder-first company. Right. Which is also very common in olive oil in different ways, in the sense that if you’re a producer, a small producer, you’re telling the story about the farm and the producers and the people milling it, you’re putting these kind of faces and elements behind it, right? Uh, you’re, you’re, you’re going out to the trade shows and it’s like my family farm. It’s, you know, it’s very linked to a human. And graza intentionally is not, graza is linked to oil. Right? It’s, it’s, the whole promise we’re making is behind this brand and this fun packaging. What’s in that bottle is absolutely delicious and amazing for any culinary applications you have in your kitchen.
And if you don’t, we’re making, you know, three recipes a week to, to help hook you up. It is not tied to a person or a farm, or a tree, or a vision of agriculture that for a long time is very attractive to the average consumer. I think it’s kind of overdone now. Um, and I brought myself to the forefront of Graza by making that mistake. And, and that was worrisome because it was never about me. It was always about the brand. And, and somehow this brand is strong and the team is strong, and it’s back to just being Gaza.
Yeah. Um, was I wrong to incite the public domain and call somebody else out? A hundred percent. Um, but I think that the whole experience showed resilience in our brand, because one thing that’s obvious about us is that we’re not a founder-first company. Right. Which is also very common in olive oil in different ways, in the sense that if you’re a producer, a small producer, you’re telling the story about the farm and the producers and the people milling it, you’re putting these kind of faces and elements behind it, right? Uh, you’re, you’re, you’re going out to the trade shows and it’s like my family farm. It’s, you know, it’s very linked to a human. And graza intentionally is not, graza is linked to oil. Right? It’s, it’s, the whole promise we’re making is behind this brand and this fun packaging. What’s in that bottle is absolutely delicious and amazing for any culinary applications you have in your kitchen.
And if you don’t, we’re making, you know, three recipes a week to, to help hook you up. It is not tied to a person or a farm, or a tree, or a vision of agriculture that for a long time is very attractive to the average consumer. I think it’s kind of overdone now. Um, and I brought myself to the forefront of Graza by making that mistake. And, and that was worrisome because it was never about me. It was always about the brand. And, and somehow this brand is strong and the team is strong, and it’s back to just being Gaza.
Curtis Cord
Mm. I can see that. But, uh, you know, the publicity never hurts. Right.
Mm. I can see that. But, uh, you know, the publicity never hurts. Right.
Andrew Benin
I, I agree with that. Uh, we definitely, uh, have been a media darling, and we do a good job of innovating and pushing, pushing the limits to, to keep things fresh.
I, I agree with that. Uh, we definitely, uh, have been a media darling, and we do a good job of innovating and pushing, pushing the limits to, to keep things fresh.
Curtis Cord
There will be others who come out there with squeeze bottles, who come out there with funding, who, you know, you’ve got a headstart, you have staying power, you have a strong team. And how do you feel about that, about your, uh, ability to withstand, you know, some formidable challenges in this, in this space?
There will be others who come out there with squeeze bottles, who come out there with funding, who, you know, you’ve got a headstart, you have staying power, you have a strong team. And how do you feel about that, about your, uh, ability to withstand, you know, some formidable challenges in this, in this space?
Andrew Benin
Yeah. We have to be looking forward, uh, and not back. Um, and it’s one thing to launch a squeeze bottle. It’s another thing to launch a squeeze bottle with damn good oil in it. It’s another thing to do that at scale, and then it’s another thing to get distribution into, you know, 7,000, 8,000, 10,000 stores and stay in there. Mm-hmm.. So I think that if I’m a grocery buyer and I get pitched another olive oil and a squeeze bottle, right now it’s RA’s job to be doing enough and be so differentiated from a quality brand digital perspective that that buyer sees no reason to bring in a competitor. Because what’s selling is Graza and what sells wins in CPG food. Mm-hmm. . So we have a ton of innovation coming down the pipeline. If other people are working on squeeze bottles, then you know, someone should be thinking about what Graza is gonna do next, not what Graza is already done.
So I, I feel really confident about our position as simple as that squeeze bottle is. You have to consider that, you know, hundreds of years of manufacturing lines for this sector have been developed for packaging that is not this, um,. There’s a lot of effort that goes into getting someone to, to change, especially in the manufacturing bottling environment. I think we’ve got it going on. Um, and I’m not worried, I’m definitely looking up at people that I want to compete with, figuring out ways that I can get higher quality oil to their customer, which I think is true and consistent. Mm-hmm. some of our competitors, but we’re, we’re not looking back too much. You’re not looking back. We do get phone calls from our suppliers whose molds we own for our bottles. Right. Saying, Hey, there’s this Italian American company that is trying to buy your mold.
Right. We are not selling it to them, but hint, hint, this is who it is. And that’s what happens when you are buying millions of bottles and not thousands. Uh, your supply chain supports you also, all that we’re trying to do, all of us is sell really high quality olive oil. I I’m paying 36, 37 bucks for a bottle of olive oil that better knock every article of clothing off my body, honestly. Like if I’m paying that much for 3 75 ml, that should be a coming to God moment with Yeah. With, with olive oil. Um, and there is some olive oil in California that’s up to snuff. Mm-hmm., I tried an olive oil from Peru a month ago that I was like, damn, I can’t believe this. You know, it’s, it’s, it’s amazing. It’s good. But if I’m buying, if I’m buying California olive oil, I’m looking to like, spend the right amount of money and like get a good deal. I’m gonna CCA hills, you know, I’m, I’m going, I’m getting a five liter jug from, you know, people whose farms I’ve walked, and their mill is great. And, um, so, so yeah. I, California, California is, is complicated. It’s very expensive, and it’s a shame that we didn’t plant more there when we had an opportunity. It’s a shame that we didn’t plant more in Arizona and New Mexico. Well,
Yeah. We have to be looking forward, uh, and not back. Um, and it’s one thing to launch a squeeze bottle. It’s another thing to launch a squeeze bottle with damn good oil in it. It’s another thing to do that at scale, and then it’s another thing to get distribution into, you know, 7,000, 8,000, 10,000 stores and stay in there. Mm-hmm.
So I, I feel really confident about our position as simple as that squeeze bottle is. You have to consider that, you know, hundreds of years of manufacturing lines for this sector have been developed for packaging that is not this, um,
Right. We are not selling it to them, but hint, hint, this is who it is. And that’s what happens when you are buying millions of bottles and not thousands. Uh, your supply chain supports you also, all that we’re trying to do, all of us is sell really high quality olive oil. I I’m paying 36, 37 bucks for a bottle of olive oil that better knock every article of clothing off my body, honestly. Like if I’m paying that much for 3 75 ml, that should be a coming to God moment with Yeah. With, with olive oil. Um, and there is some olive oil in California that’s up to snuff. Mm-hmm.
Curtis Cord
There are water problems there too. Yeah. And, and some extreme weather that’s making life real hard for people out there these
There are water problems there too. Yeah. And, and some extreme weather that’s making life real hard for people out there these
Andrew Benin
Days. I mean, same, same thing here in on the Nocia.
Days. I mean, same, same thing here in on the Nocia.
Curtis Cord
You probably know that olive oil comprises maybe 3% of the cooking oil category. It’s a shame. How much do you think about the upside, your upside, if we can get people to choose olive oil over other vegetable and seed oils,
You probably know that olive oil comprises maybe 3% of the cooking oil category. It’s a shame. How much do you think about the upside, your upside, if we can get people to choose olive oil over other vegetable and seed oils,
Andrew Benin
It’s a, it’s a fine line to walk, right? Because you can’t come out and say that all other oils are bad because then you’re a fear monger, then you’re just throwing claims out there. Then there’s one Harvard th chan piece that says Canola oil is good, and another one that says it’s awful. It’s, it’s, it’s very convoluted. So our job is suggest keep things like, I can be researching all the N I H articles at night, figuring out what the future is. Our customer’s job is to fall in love with us, and our job as a company is to keep them in love with us. And that love is what’s going to eventually grow that 3% into four into five and the scale. But like for a long time, everyone spoke about education being a competitive advantage. Our ability to educate the consumer is different than the next person’s. That is not a competitive advantage, and it is not what compels somebody to purchase. Somebody walks into a supermarket, they look at the price, they think if they’ve seen it anywhere, they see if they resonate with the product and they decide whether or not they’re gonna buy it. It’s
It’s a, it’s a fine line to walk, right? Because you can’t come out and say that all other oils are bad because then you’re a fear monger, then you’re just throwing claims out there. Then there’s one Harvard th chan piece that says Canola oil is good, and another one that says it’s awful. It’s, it’s, it’s very convoluted. So our job is suggest keep things like, I can be researching all the N I H articles at night, figuring out what the future is. Our customer’s job is to fall in love with us, and our job as a company is to keep them in love with us. And that love is what’s going to eventually grow that 3% into four into five and the scale. But like for a long time, everyone spoke about education being a competitive advantage. Our ability to educate the consumer is different than the next person’s. That is not a competitive advantage, and it is not what compels somebody to purchase. Somebody walks into a supermarket, they look at the price, they think if they’ve seen it anywhere, they see if they resonate with the product and they decide whether or not they’re gonna buy it. It’s
Curtis Cord
The health benefits of, of extra virgin olive oil that are driving people to look for it in the first place. No,
The health benefits of, of extra virgin olive oil that are driving people to look for it in the first place. No,
Andrew Benin
I think that the average consumer is aware that the words ev o o or extra virgin olive oil signify a healthy cooking fat, a very healthy cooking fat. I think that that same consumer sees pure avocado oil and thinks that that is equally a healthy cooking fat because of a health halo, not because of data. So I just think it’s a very convoluted space. Everyone is fighting against each other. I would love for graza to have a serious hand in growing the consumption of extroversion olive oil in North America, because I think we can objectively claim that if you consume extra virgin olive oil in replacement of canola, vegetable, soybean, peanut, and a whole variety of deodorized, you know, refined empty cooking fats, you are going to benefit your urology, your cardiovascular health, um, your propensity of longevity, how much per person, I don’t know. Right? There’s so much genetic dis disposition predisposition, but
I think that the average consumer is aware that the words ev o o or extra virgin olive oil signify a healthy cooking fat, a very healthy cooking fat. I think that that same consumer sees pure avocado oil and thinks that that is equally a healthy cooking fat because of a health halo, not because of data. So I just think it’s a very convoluted space. Everyone is fighting against each other. I would love for graza to have a serious hand in growing the consumption of extroversion olive oil in North America, because I think we can objectively claim that if you consume extra virgin olive oil in replacement of canola, vegetable, soybean, peanut, and a whole variety of deodorized, you know, refined empty cooking fats, you are going to benefit your urology, your cardiovascular health, um, your propensity of longevity, how much per person, I don’t know. Right? There’s so much genetic dis disposition predisposition, but
Curtis Cord
Well, you’ve got a big platform to do that with and you’re already doing it. You’re educating people on your website, you’re educating people on your bottles, you’re reaching more, more people every day. And the messaging is, is on point. I’m hopeful that you and other innovators, uh, to come will continue to look at that incredible, uh, upside really, if we can, if we can make it, you know, affordable and convenient for them to, to choose this, uh, healthier product over, over the others. I think we’ve got some good times ahead.
Well, you’ve got a big platform to do that with and you’re already doing it. You’re educating people on your website, you’re educating people on your bottles, you’re reaching more, more people every day. And the messaging is, is on point. I’m hopeful that you and other innovators, uh, to come will continue to look at that incredible, uh, upside really, if we can, if we can make it, you know, affordable and convenient for them to, to choose this, uh, healthier product over, over the others. I think we’ve got some good times ahead.
Andrew Benin
Well, you have to consider that we haven’t raised our prices, even though we’re paying a hundred percent more for our product, you know, because of everything that’s going on. There’s, there’s this pricing surge. You know, even for people that have gone through the past three 800 toia is, is is going to be stuck in their minds for the next 20 years.
Well, you have to consider that we haven’t raised our prices, even though we’re paying a hundred percent more
Curtis Cord
. Yeah. I think your price point is pretty key, though. I was surprised when I looked at the prices. That’s not to say that I wanted to pay more for your drizzle, for example. I didn’t wanna pay more than the price that was on there. Uh, but I, I kind of half expected to pay more because anytime you see extra virgin olive oil with a, you know, creative packaging, you’re expecting a pretty hefty price tag. And when I saw that, what wasn’t the case, to me, that was a, um, revelation really, that this could be something that I could have in my kitchen more than once. Yep. I taste a lot of oils, Andrew. I would definitely keep it on my table and I would use it. If I had to buy olive oil, I would use it. Your sizzle, I think is good for cooking.
You know, I’m not used to late harvest either. It’s not a, uh, sort of a rallying call these days in the industry, the, the later harvest. But I understand the, the reason for it. You know, you get a higher yield, you get more, more oil, and there’s a lot of it out there. So it’s also sustainable to use a later harvest olive to get more oil, to get the most food from each fruit that you can. There’s definitely a sustainability argument there. Bottom line is I think that you’re providing a valuable product for people at a price point that they need. Thank you. And I just hope that you really continue to make use of this platform that you have to educate people because this is a much more healthy option than other cooking oils out there. And people, not only people, but entire populations would live longer if they transitioned from their unhealthy cooking oils that, that have always been used to an unrefined product as extra virgin olive oil.
You know, I’m not used to late harvest either. It’s not a, uh, sort of a rallying call these days in the industry, the, the later harvest. But I understand the, the reason for it. You know, you get a higher yield, you get more, more oil, and there’s a lot of it out there. So it’s also sustainable to use a later harvest olive to get more oil, to get the most food from each fruit that you can. There’s definitely a sustainability argument there. Bottom line is I think that you’re providing a valuable product for people at a price point that they need. Thank you. And I just hope that you really continue to make use of this platform that you have to educate people because this is a much more healthy option than other cooking oils out there. And people, not only people, but entire populations would live longer if they transitioned from their unhealthy cooking oils that, that have always been used to an unrefined product as extra virgin olive oil.
Andrew Benin
How do we get through the price gap though? Even the cheapest extroversion, you know, per fluid ounce cheapest you could find. Maybe it’s not even extra virgins by the time it’s sat on shelf for a month is what, eight times more expensive than canola? How the hell can we cut through that price gap?
How do we get through the price gap though? Even the cheapest extroversion, you know, per fluid ounce cheapest you could find. Maybe it’s not even extra virgins by the time it’s sat on shelf for a month is what, eight times more expensive than canola? How the hell can we cut through that price gap?
Curtis Cord
I think you always have to keep an eye on quality, because if, if you don’t have the quality there, you’re gonna get called out eventually for it. Yeah. You know, so you can’t just sink and, you know, go sort of chase towards the bottom of the price. You have to do what you can do, uh, but you’ve gotta hold onto that quality. Yeah. Which I think you, I think, I think you’ve hit at least with the two oils that I purchased. Yeah. I I think you hit that. But I’d watch it. You know, you, you, I know that you’re gonna be price sensitive, especially with, with investors behind you, and you’re gonna wanna get a margin there eventually at, at some point. And I would just really be careful because if you slip too far and what you’re getting to in people’s hands is not actually extrover virgin, someone will eventually call you out for it. That what really sets you apart here is that you have a, a piqua mono varietal olive oil, which is gonna maintain its pan for a long time. It’s gonna have a good shelf life. And, uh, you’re offering it at, uh, at a good price. So
I think you always have to keep an eye on quality, because if, if you don’t have the quality there, you’re gonna get called out eventually for it. Yeah. You know, so you can’t just sink and, you know, go sort of chase towards the bottom of the price. You have to do what you can do, uh, but you’ve gotta hold onto that quality. Yeah. Which I think you, I think, I think you’ve hit at least with the two oils that I purchased. Yeah. I I think you hit that. But I’d watch it. You know, you, you, I know that you’re gonna be price sensitive, especially with, with investors behind you, and you’re gonna wanna get a margin there eventually at, at some point. And I would just really be careful because if you slip too far and what you’re getting to in people’s hands is not actually extrover virgin, someone will eventually call you out for it. That what really sets you apart here is that you have a, a piqua mono varietal olive oil, which is gonna maintain its pan for a long time. It’s gonna have a good shelf life. And, uh, you’re offering it at, uh, at a good price. So
Andrew Benin
I appreciate you recognizing that.
I appreciate you recognizing that.
Curtis Cord
No, I think it stacks up. I would just, like I said, please continue to offer quality at this price point.
No, I think it stacks up. I would just, like I said, please continue to offer quality at this price point.
Andrew Benin
I swear to you, as long as I’m running this company, quality will never be sacrificed. There’s a lot of qua out there. There’s an art in finding a specific qual. You can’t just all sum it up to one varietal. You know, for us to be able to get that quality at that scale, take some serious resourcefulness here and, and we’re lucky to have it. Um, so, you know, even in the biggest inventory pinches the biggest retailer asking for us to come in, we’ve had to say no. Because the oils that were available at market at that time for us to buy, we’re not up to our standards. Say no to 4 million now to say yes to a lot more in the future, hopefully.
I swear to you, as long as I’m running this company, quality will never be sacrificed. There’s a lot of qua out there. There’s an art in finding a specific qual. You can’t just all sum it up to one varietal. You know, for us to be able to get that quality at that scale, take some serious resourcefulness here and, and we’re lucky to have it. Um, so, you know, even in the biggest inventory pinches the biggest retailer asking for us to come in, we’ve had to say no. Because the oils that were available at market at that time for us to buy, we’re not up to our standards. Say no to 4 million now to say yes to a lot more in the future, hopefully.
Curtis Cord
Absolutely. I think you’ve got a, a great big future ahead of you. You’re doing it just right. You picked the right partners. I think the creative is incredible and yeah, I’m a, I’m a fan.
Absolutely. I think you’ve got a, a great big future ahead of you. You’re doing it just right. You picked the right partners. I think the creative is incredible and yeah, I’m a, I’m a fan.
Andrew Benin
I appreciate that.
I appreciate that.
Curtis Cord
It’s tough. You’ve been, this is three years now, you’ve been into this, it was an 18 month of the pre-launch and 17 months since then. I’m, and you know, you, I heard before you mentioned to somebody that, uh, you know, you weren’t, uh, maybe sleeping as well as you would like to and maybe not as exercising as much as you could
It’s tough. You’ve been, this is three years now, you’ve been into this, it was an 18 month of the pre-launch and 17 months since then. I’m, and you know, you, I heard before you mentioned to somebody that, uh, you know, you weren’t, uh, maybe sleeping as well as you would like to and maybe not as exercising as much as you could
Andrew Benin
Mean, uh, out on top of that. I mean, my wife just had our first child 10 days ago,. Um, so it’s a, it’s a, it’s, it’s, it’s fun. Um, you have to just remember that you’re working in olive, olive oil, right. That’s grounding. It’s like this is, this stuff tastes good. It’s healthy. It’s kind of loved by everybody. Like yeah, maybe I’m feeling a little cruddy, but I’m working in olive oil. I’m so lucky. And you know, now we have a team, we have a 11-person team. It’s growing. People are, people are really doing a lot. I’m feeling better. I am.
Mean, uh, out on top of that. I mean, my wife just had our first child 10 days ago,
Curtis Cord
Your in-laws must be like, uh, you know, I always knew this boy had promise.
Your in-laws must be like, uh, you know, I always knew this boy had promise.
Andrew Benin
Um, the contrary, I think they’re like, how the hell did this work? You know,, it’s funny, every time they come over, they take a bottle of drizzle, so I know something’s up.
Um, the contrary, I think they’re like, how the hell did this work? You know,
Curtis Cord
Andrew, it was a real pleasure.
Andrew, it was a real pleasure.
Andrew Benin
It was fun for me too. Thanks a lot.
It was fun for me too. Thanks a lot.
This episode was pubished July 12, 2023