The future of the Graber Olive House in Ontario is in doubt after a potential investor recently backed out of a deal to help keep the property afloat after years of financial hardship.
The city staple, which the Graber family has used to brine and can olives since the 1800s, hasn’t actually been in production for about two years. Their facilities, stocked with more than 500 vats used in the process, now sit empty with cobwebs forming in the corners where family members have worked for over 120 years.
“It really does mean everything, because … I’ve been born into this and I’m the fourth generation,” said Robert Graber. “Statistically, there’s a 93% chance that it will not make it to the fourth generation — any family business out there.”
He said that it means everything to him to keep the business running, not just for his family, but for the community.
“My great-grandfather started the business in 1894. He then went commercial and started shipping all over the country, all over the world,” Graber said.
He says that the series of setbacks started in 2020, when the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic forced business to slow down to a crawl. Then, they experienced a devastating crop failure and had to take out loans to stay afloat.
They haven’t been able to afford canning for the last couple of years, and now, Graber says that they’re at risk of losing it all.
“The property is for sale, but we’re at least hoping to partner with someone on the olive side of the business, so we can keep the factory here,” he said. “They can still run it as a venue or a bar, however they want.”
He says that they secured an investor earlier this year and were preparing to turn the two-acre lot into a venue for weddings and wine tastings, as well as allowing them to start canning again. However, that investor backed out a few weeks ago, and Graber said that foreclosure is looming.
Community members are also hopeful that the business can find a way to return to its former glory.
“It’s so sad, because we were all excited to see it come back,” said Francis Rodriguez.
The family is hopeful that someone will come along and extend them a lifeline so that the beloved business can continue serving their community and dinner tables across the country.
“It’s sad, but we’re trying to do whatever we can to stay positive,” Graber said.