When the late philanthropist, Disney exec and jazz musician Judson Green moved to Greencastle in 2005, he and his wife Joyce donated $15 million to the DePauw University School of Music, creating the Judson and Joyce Green Center for the Performing Arts and donated another $15 million to launch the 21st Century Musician Initiative, a curriculum for music students to become entrepreneurs and business people in the creative fields.
They also vowed to showcase European culinary arts to Greencastle and Putnam County. While living in France, the BreadWorks website reports, the Greens “immediately fell in love with the French baguette, which my wife Joyce would buy for the kids each day after school. It became customary for us to ask for two baguettes because one would invariably disappear when the kids got home from school.”
Upon settling in Greencastle, the Greens wanted to recreate their passion for some of Europe’s deliciousness along with some of America’s favorites. The first location of BreadWorks by Bridges – another opened in Indianapolis in 2022 – is a two-story bakery and cafe that offers a patisserie downstairs and a full restaurant on the second floor. Located on the corner of Walnut and Indiana streets, BreadWorks provides freshly made artisan loaves of bread and creative pastries, all made in Greencastle. In a beautifully designed space flooded with natural light, customers are greeted by the innovative rolling pins artwork hanging from the ceiling.
Chef Sal Fernandez spearheads the baked goods and creative cooking at for Green Fields Group, which includes the original BreadWorks, Bridges Wine House, TapHouse Burgers and the Indy BreadWorks. Born and raised in Napa Valley, Fernandez finds inspiration from his hometown bakery, Bouchon, the legendary establishment created by star chef and French Laundry mastermind Thomas Keller.
Among all the European goods, it was important for the Greens and Fernandez to celebrate Midwest pastries as well. So while restaurant guests can order a breakfast sandwich on brioche or a croissant, the bakery also offers a variety of muffins, danishes and, of course, the classic doughnut. Glazed, cake, yeast, Long Johns and apple fritters line the cases ready to be enjoyed. Donut holes are available too, which happy customers can dunk into their drip coffee or handcrafted cappuccino.
For more info, check out the BreadWorks website.
