Everything is better with bread!
That’s the slogan of the Purple Carrot Bread Co., which opened a second location at Bridgewood Plaza, 1794 Bridge Street, Unit 13A, in November to complement its original location in downtown Lowell.
And ain’t it the truth!
Alaina and Doug Brackett own and operate both Purple Carrot locations, and they say they have been warmly received in their new Dracut location, for which Dracut Economic Development held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on December 16.
“Dracut people are super-excited,” Alaina said.
She said most folks who stop by are grateful for the abundance of parking at Bridgewood Plaza.
As its name suggests, Purple Carrot Bread Co. specializes in artisan breads, including their core loaves – Country Blonde, Country Wheat, Roasted Garlic & Rosemary Ciabatta, and Kalamata Olive & Rosemary – which are available every day. They also rotate other types of bread throughout the week.
But it’s not just bread. The Bracketts also put delicious food between the bread. Their sandwiches include BLTs, Chicken BLTs, Vegan Avocado, and New England Turkey, as well as paninis, with some specials every day.
Soups and rustic pastries complete the menu – all homemade.
While the words “artisan” and “from scratch” are thrown around a lot, the Bracketts stress that their breads are, indeed, artisan and from scratch, using no preservatives, conditioners or fillers. All the soups are made from scratch, as are most of the salad dressings they serve.
The Dracut location, which opened just before Thanksgiving, started out with a limited menu, and the Bracketts have added items so that now the Dracut shop offers the same menu as downtown Lowell.
The Bracketts started out by bringing samples of their artisan breads to the farmer’s market at Mill No. 5 in Lowell. Once they realized that people loved them, they decided to try their hand at a café-style restaurant. They opened in Lowell in 2018, with help from EforAll, a Lowell-based nonprofit organization that partners with communities to help under-represented people start and grow a business through training, mentorship and a professional support network.
Purple Carrot remained open through Covid and came through the pandemic successfully by offering take-and-bake meals (which they also offer in Dracut).
“The community rallied around us and kept us going,” said Alaina, who grew up in the Pawtucketville section of Lowell while Doug grew up in Worcester.
For more on the Purple Carrot Bread Co.’s Dracut location, go to www.purplecarrotbreadco.com, or call 978-476-8674.
CAPTION:
Purple Carrot Bread Co. owners Alaina and Doug Brackett, center, prepare to cut the ribbon on December 16 to celebrate the opening of their Dracut location at Bridgewood Plaza, 1794 Bridge Street, Unit 13A. With them are, from left, Karen Davis, manager of the Eastern Bank branch in Dracut and a member of the Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors; Amanda Marcoux, Alaina’s cousin; Kacie Desrosiers, the cook in the Dracut location; Anita Wyman, Alaina’s godmother; Tim Savage, a member of the Dracut Economic Development Committee; Jennifer Kopcinski, a member of the Board of Selectmen and the Economic Development Committee; Dave Ouellette, Dracut’s Health Agent; Rose Frost, Alaina’s aunt; and Sheila Brackett, Doug’s mother. (DRACUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PHOTO)
