Self-proclaimed foodies Jay Veniard and Jessica Combest once had a vision for a food tour in downtown Phoenix. However, the two have since done much more than they set out to complete.
Combest, a Phoenix native, said she had noticed that there wasn’t a food tour in the downtown area. Through a desire to showcase great local restaurants, her concept was born and Taste It Tours began.
“There are some great hidden-gem restaurants that are overlooked by bigger areas, by people who don’t realize it started in downtown Phoenix,” Combest said.
The downtown area has been very meaningful to the couple, particularly to Combest.
“My grandfather owned one of the first roller-skating rinks in Phoenix, and I have always had a deep passion for the area,” Combest said. “I’m a second-generation Phoenician, and I have seen the city grow, but they forget about what downtown Phoenix has to offer, which is why I wanted showcase the food and the restaurants.”
As the city of Phoenix continues to grow, the expansion has been beneficial to their business. Combest said this growth has created a better Phoenix.
“We have seen that Roosevelt has changed tremendously,” Combest said. “They have embraced the culture downtown by having more studios and coffee shops to create a pedestrian-friendly area.”
The two said they still have some concerns when it comes to the success of local businesses in the downtown Phoenix area. Veniard said that downtown Phoenix still seems to be overlooked by surrounding areas.
“This urban revitalization won’t continue to grow until more people see it coming,” Veniard said. “Until then, they are going to think Chandler, Scottsdale and Tempe areas over downtown for a place to have lunch.”
Samantha Jackson, community service director of the Downtown Phoenix Partnership, said there is a huge demand for these local businesses in the Phoenix area.
“The development in downtown Phoenix has exploded in the last 20 years,” Jackson said.
With that explosion is a certain popularity of downtown, and Jackson said there is now a huge demand for more urban housing.
“These new residents will need services, hopefully leading to more small, local businesses opening or relocating downtown to provide those services to residents,” Jackson said. “These businesses will be the unique retail that downtown is longing for.”
When starting the business, the couple was looking for ways to constantly make it better, such as incorporating the farm-to-table concept that Combest said the public loves.
“We asked everyone on the food tours for their opinion,” Combest said. “We listened to what people wanted and they wanted more tours with more history.”
After more than a year of running food tours successfully, the couple decided it was time for further progression of their business. Going from a hotel lobby to their own location in downtown Phoenix was their step forward to grow their business.
They leased out the space in the Orpheum Lofts on Adams Street and First Avenue in October 2012. From there, they took the next step and began to sell high-quality olive oils and balsamics at their new storefront, Urban Olive Oils and Balsamics.
“We wanted to educate people in quality products. We feel really good about our accomplishments,” Combest said.
As the couple grows their business, their vision for the future has expanded beyond what they expected.
“We hope to continue to do more tours and maybe even have a coffee and breakfast tour or a wine tour and more cultural tours as well,” Combest said. “People are shocked at how much food they get on tours. We sit down and eat, and we make sure that there is a variety of excellent food.”
They now have a strong partnership with the Sheraton downtown and have been selling their products at the Scottsdale Public Market. They are successful business owners with a love for the area and the urge to share it with everyone.
“We are all about showcasing different kinds of food and having some fun with it too,” Combest said.
Contact the reporter at ruby.ramirez.1@asu.edu
