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We have made no secret of the fact that we love to buy local!

We prefer to buy our gifts, groceries and clothing from makers right here in Coweta.

Kenya Brantley, owner of Greenhouse Mercantile, is passionate about running a boutique that supplies a range of locally and sustainably produced merchandise.

She wants to be sure that what she sells strengthens and gives back to the community.

It is important to her that her offerings are made in the United States, are fair trade or in some way contribute to society.

We loved the giving keys, simple engraved key necklaces that provide employment for the homeless and give a percentage of sales back to those without a place to live.

Stepping into Greenhouse Mercantile, Kenya’s stripped down chic style was instantly evident.

Kenya has curated a range of products that line up with her values, but come together in an effortlessly simplistic way that is distinctly Greenhouse.

The minimalist style makes a soothing shopping experience where you do not feel overwhelmed by the merchandise.

Greenhouse offers unique jewelry, local art, beautiful home decor, bath products, coffee, food and clothing.

It’s the perfect place to find a one of a kind gift or treat yourself to something lovely or delicious.

Greenhouse Mercantile was conceived several years ago when Kenya and her family were moving.

She had a lot of beautiful pieces that she didn’t need anymore.

She decided to sell them at a booth in Stairway to Heaven Antiques.

She immediately knew that she had found something she loved and could do for the rest of her life.

From Stairway, she moved to different locations around Coweta County where she developed her unique style, which she describes as East coast meets West coast.

Greenhouse isn’t your typical boutique. Kenya wants people to feel free to come and stay awhile. She offers pour over coffee by the cup, free wifi and a comfy couch.

People will often stop in with their computers just to get some work done in a relaxing environment.

When you visit Greenhouse Mercantile, be sure to take a look in the back room where you will often find a pop up shop.

Kenya wants to help talented local artists and makers get exposure and grow, so she offers her back room as a temporary shop at a reasonable price.

Kristin Schriks and Gail Ross are the upcoming artists occupying the pop up space.

Visit Greenhouse Mercantile online to shop. You can keep up with the latest events and sales on their Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Kenya also has a Pinterest where she posts inspiration and ideas.

You can also catch Kenya on the entertaining web show Real Talk on the Square.

Downtown Olive & Kitchen Supply Co. Newnan, GA Photo © 2015 Susan Crutchfield Photography

Update: Downtown Olive is now closed. Please support local businesses.

Living in the south, we know that we are supposed to use butter like it’s going out of style, but honestly for the most part we prefer using olive oil. We won’t mention that to our grandma. That’s why we were really excited when we noticed that there is a new olive oil store in town!

Downtown Olive and Kitchen Supply Company is right on the square in downtown Newnan across the street from Stairway to Heaven Antique Mall. Food lovers will be in heaven from the moment they walk into the brightly lit store.

There are rows of infused olive oil and vinegar for sampling and a friendly employee to walk you through the process and give you recipe tips.

We spoke with the owner, Amy and her husband Ted about how Downtown Olive was conceived.

Amy’s father chose a military career that took the family from one small US town to the next. As a result, Amy was very familiar with the typical American downtown from a small age. She loved the small town feel of a downtown with several small scale locally owned specialty shops.

Her early encounters with small town stores left her with a strong desire to open her own gift shop someday. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, her dream of owning a shop got pushed to a back burner. She married, moved to Newnan and started a family.

The opportunity finally came for Amy to realize her dream around a year ago. Her love of cooking, healthy eating and fine foods came together into her unique shop.

The olive oil and vinegar available in Downtown Olive is Olivelle and is sourced from Italy, Greece and Spain. The oil is the same olive oil you would be served at a restaurant in Italy. Amy smiled as she told us stories of world travelers who came in skeptical that the oil was true European olive oil and leaving with several bottles after declaring that they never thought they would taste oil like that in Georgia.

In addition to the infused olive oils and vinegars, Downtown Olive also offers a range of functional and fun cooking accessories. Many of the kitchen gadgets feature bright colors and uniquely whimsical designs. The shop also has tea towels printed with witty graphics, charming dishware and pre-prepared specialty foods.

All of the merchandise in Downtown Olive has Amy’s stamp of approval. As a mom to a pre teen girl with a range of severe allergies, Amy has to be able to prepare dishes that the whole family can enjoy and also meet her daughter’s strict medical requirements. As a busy Mom and small business owner, Amy needs kitchen tools that will match her need for utility and quick clean up. You can be sure that anything you buy in Downtown Olive lives up to these standards.

Amy and Ted are always working to improve and expand the store. The latest additions to the shop are gorgeous pieces of kitchen furniture that have a rustic, hand crafted look and Big Green Egg barbecue cookers.

We loved browsing through the store and looking at all the fun kitchen supplies and accessories. We especially enjoyed getting to sample some of the oils and vinegars. Our favorites were the caramelized garlic and the Tahitian lime infused olive oils.

We are used to cooking with olive oil, but Amy gave us some great tips on new and interesting ways to use oil and vinegar. She suggests pouring it over your ice cream and adding a little salt on top, using olive oil to make popcorn from scratch, delicious marinades, yogurt and cottage cheese toppings and as a delicious addition to a fruit and cheese plate. We really can’t wait to try it on ice cream!

If you have not yet stopped by Downtown Olive, we strongly suggest it. It is a delightful experience for your taste buds and we’re sure you will come away with something you love! If you are out and about on one of Newnan’s Market Days, look for Amy and Ted walking around with treats made with their infused olive oils. Follow Downtown Olive on Facebook to get their latest updates, get sneak peeks of new products and an array of yummy recipes. Amy was kind enough to give us one of her favorite recipes. Please let us know if you tried it and how it tastes!

Pesto Chicken Grill Pouches

Caramelized Garlic Olive Oil or Primagoccia Olive Oil*
8 chicken tenderloins
salt and pepper
Pesto Alla Genovese by Genevese Specialties*
2 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 large Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
1 can garlic diced tomatoes, drained or 4 roma tomatoes, chopped
16oz. thin spaghetti
Pasta Salt Rocks*
*Available at Downtown Olive & Kitchen Supply Co.

Preheat grill to medium. Cut four 16" sheets of foil. Drizzle 1 tsp. olive oil into the bottom half of each piece of foil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and lay 2 tenderloins on each piece of foil over the olive oil. Spread 1 T. pesto on top of chicken. Top with zucchini, onion and tomatoes. Top with 3 T. pesto. Bring the longer side of foil over the chicken and vegetables and fold the three open sides of foil together and pinch the edges to make a good seal. Cover and grill the packets over indirect heat for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add a salt rock to the water for 2 minutes. Remove the salt rock, add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions. Drain. Place pasta on plates and with a knife carefully cut an edge of each grill pouch and slide it onto the pasta. Serves 4.

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