Entrepreneur Andrea Newville took a chance when she changed her career and moved to Santa Barbara. So far, it has paid off.

“Eleven months ago I moved here sight unseen,” said Newville, founder of Viva Oliva. “I just wanted to move to the coast, and there was one other olive oil store in town, so I started looking around Santa Barbara and wanted to go to the most trafficked area.”

Family-owned and operated Viva Olivia, located in the heart of the Paseo Nuevo mall at 207 Paseo Nuevo.

But before Newville’s move, she literally had to build her success. The self-employed mother of three had a custom woodworking business in Prescott, Ariz., when she decided it was time for a change.

“It was a very successful business, but also very tough,” Newville said. “While it was fun, it was hard work and I was working too many hours, although it allowed me to raise my kids and make enough money to get them through life.” 

Her daughter, Amanda Runyan, who works full time at the store and takes classes at SBCC along with her sister Ellie, is happy about the change.

“It was cool that she was a woman getting into something that was traditionally a male-dominated business, but I prefer this,” Runyan said. “It suits her better. It was really hard labor, and I didn’t like that. With this she can still have as much fun and still have fun with her woodwork.” 

Newville used her carpentry skills to handcraft each wood display in her store. She said a sleek design coupled with a health-conscious clientele and affordable prices translated into a successful business. 

“(The business is) new and different, but people know the history of olive oil and its health benefits and the quality sells itself,” Newville said. “I’m able to keep prices low, which allows more people to enjoy my product — I can’t believe how many college students come in.”

Olive oil’s monounsaturated fatty acids and its antioxidants protect against heart disease by controlling cholesterol levels, and also ease digestion.

Viva Olivia gets its oil from a family-run supplier in Oakland, helping keep prices in the range of $15 to $30 a bottle. It also means its product is only several months old, unlike some grocery store varieties that lose their antioxidative substances after one year.

“They are the freshest oils and vinegars in Santa Barbara because the olives were harvested between April and June this year,” Newville said. “I have nonflavored, infused and fused oils and vinegars.”

Flavors include chocolate, blueberry, black cherry and blackberry ginger.

After its opening last October, Viva Olivia turned a profit in one month and its online business took off. Newville hopes to expand her product with oil-concentrated bath products and gourmet food, and eventually open another store.

“My daughters know my hard work always pays off, and I will do anything to make something work,” Newville said.

— Noozhawk business writer Alex Kacik can be reached at akacik@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.