Meet Marie-Charlotte Piro | CEO, Olio Piro

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marie-Charlotte Piro and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marie-Charlotte, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
The food product most often brought back from Mediterranean countries by traveling US foodies is olive oil. Why? Because it is so hard to find here in the US a real, fresh Extra Virgin Olive Oil; the one with this unmistakable fresh flavor and the characteristic peppery finish at the end… the one that is truly delicious enough to drink. (If you have had fresh olive oil, you know exactly what I am talking about! If you don’t, you are missing out on something essential!). Well, I was one of these foodies, smuggling in my Extra Virgin Olive Oil yearly from Italy. Especially the award winning one, crafted by my brother in Tuscany.
My brother Romain makes this exceptional Extra Virgin Olive Oil from rare olive varieties grown on the volcanic soil of Monte Amiata, by Montalcino. The unripe olives are milled within hours of harvest in one of the most sophisticated olive mill of the region and bottled in an oxygen free environment to preserve its flavor .
His only market for many years was Michelin-starred restaurants in France and Italy but in in 2019, we decided to increase his production and bring it to the US market… and here we are! Still strong after two years of pandemic, selling on line to thousands of foodies around the country, and with 70 retailers in the US, and growing.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Piro was launched in the US at the brink of the Pandemic. We had to swiftly pivot our plans and learn e-commerce. We are now thriving both with brick-and-mortar independent retailers and internet consumer sales. We also had to adapt to the exponential increase of logistic cost and import challenges. As we are now facing inflated production costs and global warming challenges, we feel that we are ready for anything! We learned than staying true to our core values of uncompromising quality and customer service was paramount in overcoming important challenges.
Piro thrives to bring the freshest, purest, highest quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil to the US so when you open one of our bottles in your kitchen or at your dinner table, it will taste exactly as it did when it was made in our mill in Tuscany.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Going from South to North, I would bring my best buddy to the Redlands and visit one of my favorite farms – Fertile Earth Worm farm – were you find the best organic compost in South Florida. Then, a dip at the spectacular Mateson Hammock looking at the Miami Skyline in the far distance. I like to go to Chevre in Coral Gables to load up the perfect cheese boards for a quick boat ride and take off to StiltsVille from the shores of Key Biscayne. Then, stop at Golden Hog for a delicious lunch on the go and crossing the bridge back to Brickell, and go to Casa Tua Cucina at Saks Brickell Center for a real Italian Espresso and some amazing pastries (and great people watching).
I purchase my bread at Mama Leone in Miami Shores, the best Italian baker in town and like to brings snacks and refreshments to the Surfside beach for sunset. Then, cannot be in South Florida without dining at Casa d’Angelo in Fort Lauderdale.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This shout out is for the formidable organization of Les Dames d’Escoffier International, who took me in and mentored me to make Olio Piro the success it is now,

Website: www.olio-piro.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oliopiro/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcpiro/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OlioPiro/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdKL_OJVEexevvVaQyWX7pQ

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@oliopiro

Image Credits
Vikki Colvin