An Interview with Amier Ayoub of Olympita By Lucas Anderson, Staff member
Just a little way from the Eastside Co-op, over by St. Martin’s University in Lacey, sits an asphalt island in between a busy stretch of Pacific Ave and Lacey Blvd. There you’ll find an empty parking lot that is host to a number of food trucks. One of these is a white truck with a picture of shawarma emblazoned on its side in red, with the name “Olympita.” Proudly serving authentic Palestinian street food, Olympita is fantastically unique and unlike anything you can find in this area as far as authenticity and deliciousness goes. Started by Amier Ayoub and his wife Christine in March 2021, in the midst of the pandemic, the small food truck persevered through some challenging times to eventually branch out into supplying hummus
and ready to eat shawarma for both the Co-ops.
You can find Olympita’s products in the “grab and go” deli coolers at both stores. They pride themselves on using the freshest authentic ingredients, traditional recipes, and halal meats. Olympita offers a very affordable, delicious, and healthy addition to the Olympia\Lacey community. I had a chance to sit down with Amier to talk about the food he and his wife make and how they ended up in this area. Being he is from Palestine, it’s hard to talk to Amier about the food he makes without bringing up the subject of what’s currently happening there and his connection to that place. In so many ways, he is a thread in our community to that part of the world. We met up at the Westside Co-op in the Little House and sat in the living room to talk about what his life is like living through these challenging times. We also talked about where to find, as Amier puts it, “the super- freshest lamb” in our area and the difference between Baba Ghanoush and “Mama” Ghanoush. More…