Olive oil store replaces another at Branson Landing

Photos provided by Nika’s Olive

The shop features more than 20 gourmet olive oils and 40 flavored balsamic vinegars.

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The owners of a spice and tea shop at Branson Landing aim to appeal to the gourmet tasting sensibilities of shoppers with their new venture dubbed Nika’s Olive.

Co-owned by Corey and Veronica Dearing, the shop at 317 Branson Landing Blvd. sells gourmet olive oils and balsamic vinegars, along with pastas, pasta sauces, tapenades and chutney. A grand opening is scheduled for Aug. 9.

Nika’s Olive marks the second retail venture for the Dearings at Branson Landing. The couple also own The Spice & Tea Exchange, which has more than 140 spices and 30 teas among its offerings.  

Corey Dearing said he and his wife opened Nika’s Olive on May 23 after taking over the space previously occupied by Dove Olive Oil Co. Dove closed late last year after a bankruptcy filing and a lawsuit judgment.  

Dearing said the couple have no connection to Dove Olive Oil Co., other than they were occasional customers and liked the concept. He said they both were “kind of bummed” when Dove closed, which led them to do some research about opening their own similar shop.

“We thought we’d take a chance and put together our own store,” he said, adding they changed the look and feel of the 1,500-square-foot space and expanded on the amount of products offered. “This is just something we decided to do because it’s fun.”

Some of the fixtures in the shop were replaced and more international-themed decor was added with the assistance of Branson-based Bratton House of Design LLC, Dearing said.

“We tried to use global inspiration as our design choice,” he said, noting startup costs were around $65,000.

Dearing said the shop’s name is based on his wife’s nickname.

The Dearings signed a five-year lease with a five-year extension option for undisclosed terms with Branson Landing owner HCW Development Co. LLC.

Nika’s Olive is among shops lending to an occupancy rebound at Branson Landing, where tenant levels fell below 90 percent last year but are now nearing full capacity, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting.

New stores on board at the Landing include clothing retailer H&M and the pending addition of Andy B’s Bowl Social. Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen also signed on as a future tenant.