Frankie Muniz trades acting for olive oil, Hollywood for Scottsdale

Tucked inside the Frontier Shops courtyard in Old Town Scottsdale, just past the tourist shops selling turquoise beads and Southwestern baubles, you'll find a small, well-lit specialty shop called Outrageous Olive Oils & Vinegars.

The shop — which carries premium olive oils and aged balsamic vinegars — doesn't seem like the most obvious spot in Scottsdale for a celebrity encounter.

Look twice, though, and you'll spot a familiar face sitting behind the register.

The face belongs to Frankie Muniz, the 32-year-old actor who became a star at 13 playing the titular boy genius in the Fox comedy "Malcolm in the Middle."

More recently, Muniz, who co-hosts "Dancing with the Stars Juniors" on ABC, made headlines when his central Phoenix brownstone was accidentally flooded by his kitten.

Muniz owns and runs Outrageous Olive Oils & Vinegars with Paige Price, his fiancee and business partner. The couple purchased the shop in 2018 after the previous owner of nine years decided to sell it.

"We were looking for something to do together," Muniz told The Republic recently.

"We had been customers at the store before and we just knew we liked the product and we wanted to do something together. Now, it's become our lives," he laughed.

Hands-on owners

Muniz and Price — both first-time retail shop owners — have taken a hands-on approach to running their first business together.

The shop is no celebrity vanity project. Muniz and Price spend long hours doing everything from managing inventory to giving new customers a tour of the shop.

"My day this morning started at 6 a.m. getting up to go to Restaurant Depot to get products that we needed. Then I got here early to start filling bottles and to make sure all the shelves were stocked," Muniz said.

"We're not just ordering product and putting it on the shelf. We bottle everything. We label the bottles. We seal everything. We do all that ourselves here in store. It's a lot of work, but it's really rewarding when people come in and rave about the product."

Running the business has allowed Muniz to indulge in one of his passions: Working with numbers.

"I love doing payroll. I love doing anything with the financials. I'm a numbers guy, so this has been like a dream come true for me," he said.

Meanwhile, Price is in charge of picking out the inventory, running social media and maintaining the shop's website.

"I think in the end, we cancel out each other's weaknesses," Price said. "Where Frankie might not be on top of something, I'm on top of it. Or if I'm not on top of something, Frankie always has my back."

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The couple have hired two employees to help, and may hire more as the business grows. For now, though, Muniz and Price handle all major responsibilities.

"We live and breathe this store right now. It's the only thing we have time for. But we love it," Muniz said.

'Ultra-premium' olive oils

Outrageous Olive Oils carries what Muniz describes as "the highest-standard olive oil in the world." Dozens of blends are available, with unique natural flavors like blood oranges, sweet Persian limes, chipotle and olive wood.

"The whole point of our stores is to get really high-end, good product in the consumers' hands," Muniz said.

The shop's "ultra-premium" olive oils are supplied by Oakland, California-based Veronica Foods. The company is known for its rigorous testing and unique production schedule, which switches from Northern to Southern Hemisphere countries every six months to source from the freshest olive harvests around the globe.

Depending on the time of year, the oils are produced from olives sourced from places like Italy, Spain, Portugal, California and South Africa.

"We're constantly changing where the product comes from because not only do you want the highest quality, you want the freshest olive oil there is," Muniz explained.

"A lot people go, 'Oh, I only want Italian olive oil or olive oil from Greece.' The more important questions are: How was it made and when was it made?"

A passion for real ingredients

For Price, operating the shop is part of a bigger commitment to healthy eating.

She grew up in a "teeny tiny" Pennsylvania coal town called Marianna, a remote place without easy access to fresh ingredients.

"Being where I am from, the nearest supermarket was at least 35 minutes away and when you went that far out of town, you were stocking up for the month. So fruits didn't really fall into the 'convenience' category," Price said.

The products at Outrageous Olive Oils & Vinegars have been a game changer for the couple. She has even managed to convert the cheeseburger-loving Muniz into a regular salad eater.

"Getting him to eat a salad was like the world was ending," Price laughed.

Now, they enjoy experimenting with different dressings, marinades and flavor pairings, using the products they sell at the store and find at farmers markets.

"If my shop gains the trust of picky eaters like Frankie, I hope that those same people will trust me when I say that the best produce to put into your body is at your local farmers market," Price said.

Outrageous Olive Oils & Vinegars

Where: 7240 E. Main St., Scottsdale.

Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays.

Details: 480-946-1888, outrageousoliveoil.com.

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