January 2013- With multiple careers under their belts, Chris and Kristin Vetromile are proud to announce their new franchise partnership with VOM FASS USA in Austin, Texas.
Chris readily admits he is an incurable foodie. At his last job as a firefighter, Chris became known in the firehouse for his culinary expertise, whipping up food for fellow firefighters and for special events. Chris has a broad range of self-taught culinary skills and possesses the knack of using interesting blends of flavors to create mouth-watering delights.
During many hours in the firehouse mulling over ideas to tap into his culinary love and expertise, Chris discovered a relatively new and emerging specialty retail category…. the oil and vinegar store! He knew he did not want to own a restaurant. After extensive internet research and visits to multiple oil and vinegar establishments, the Vetromiles found their match when they came into the Madison, Wisconsin VOM FASS.
After visiting other oil and vinegar franchises, it ultimately came down to product quality. “The VOM FASS products are superior,” says Chris. What stuck out most for them was the way the products were packaged, shipped, and sold in the store using the bag-in-box system—an unparalleled way to maintain product freshness from processing to point of sale.
Kristin said her visit to the Madison store was phenomenal. She loved how “everyone in the store was great, greeting us right away, and how the product just sold itself.” The spirit of the store finalized their decision to open a VOM FASS shop of their own. And the perks of unlimited access to top of the line VOM FASS products certainly didn’t hurt; Kristin mentioned that what she’s most looking forward to about opening their store is having a constant supply of oil and vinegar!
Hired right out of college, Chris spent his time working on an oil rig in Africa. He loved Africa and mostly enjoyed the traveling that came with the job. When asked about the coincidence of still working with oil, Chris laughed. “I think it’s funny. I guess I’m still in the oil business, but we’re eating it instead of driving our cars with it.”
The couple first met at fire fighting school at Santa Rosa Community college while jokingly fighting for the top grade in their class. Kristin trained to be a paramedic, while Chris decided to become a firefighter.
Choosing Austin, Texas to locate their shops came about after plenty of research. Kristin originally wanted to go to the East Coast where many members of her family live. The couple considered both Virginia and Texas and picked the lone star state for the more retail-friendly liquor laws that permit tasting of spirits, liqueurs, and wine—one of the cornerstones of a VOM FASS shop. Plus, Chris' parents live in Austin, so they still have family around them. In fact, both Chris and Kristin’s families are involved, just in case they need backup juggling the running of their new shop with the care of their two kids, 3 ½ year old Logan and eighteen month old Liam.
After making their decision and moving to Austin, the two found an additional love; Austin is marked by beautiful rolling hills while the rest of Texas is flat. Chris is also very confident that the city will welcome a VOM FASS with excitement. “Austin is very comparable to Madison,” he explained. “It’s a foodie college town with food trailers on every corner, where everyone is really fascinated with cooking. He added, “That’s what really stuck out for us with Austin.”
Although the process took longer than they originally expected, they are eager to get their first shop up and running. In fact, the two are so confident they will be successful, they are already planning to open two additional VOM FASS shops in the Austin area. “Our goal is to introduce VOM FASS to the community so they can see how good the product really is,” says Chris.
“It’
