The Story Behind Kinzie’s Olive Oil
There’s a story unfolding at the Kinzie Chophouse table that most guests don’t immediately see.
For owner Nicole Flevaris, that story begins in Greece, where her family has spent generations tending olive trees in the valley surrounding their village. The olive oil used at Kinzie comes from her father’s cooperative, Achla Co., made from those same trees. It carries years of memory, work, and tradition that still shape how she thinks about food and hospitality today.
The photos shared here offer a glimpse into that history. They are family photos taken decades ago, showing the land, the people, and the everyday work behind the olive oil that still finds its way to the Kinzie kitchen. Together, they tell the story of a village coming together to protect something lasting.
A family legacy in Greece
Achla Co. was formed over many years as the older generation in the village began to age. The cooperative created a way for first generation family members living in the U.S. to stay connected, while ensuring the olive trees continued to be cared for. Just as importantly, it helped keep jobs in the village and people rooted there at a time when many rural villages across Greece have slowly emptied. As Nicole puts it, “The cooperative was a way to keep the trees cared for, people working, and the village alive. It helps us stay connected to where we come from, even when we’re far away.”
Greece is defined by mountains, with very few wide valleys suitable for farming. Nicole often jokes that the terrain pushed Greeks toward philosophy rather than agriculture. That same geography helps explain why Greeks historically built lives elsewhere across the Mediterranean and southern Italy, still known as Magna Graecia. In some mountain villages, traditions endured simply because the land made them hard to reach.
The Village and the Cooperative
One of the final photos looks out from the family home across the valley, offering a wider view of the olive groves below. The village name is often understood by the family to translate to “oh valley of the olive tree,” a reminder of how closely daily life is tied to the land. This is not a symbolic origin story. It is a real one, shaped by soil, water, and time.
That olive oil now makes its way into the kitchen at Kinzie Chophouse. It finishes dishes, adds depth, and quietly connects Nicole’s Greek roots to a classic Chicago steakhouse. It is about carrying forward a family tradition, and respecting where ingredients come from.
