Bret Couturier has long-been familiar with Barry Bagels.
Couturier, 40, grew up in Sylvania, Ohio, near the first Barry Bagels that opened in Toledo in 1972.
“This is what I ate growing up,” he said. “We would go in every weekend and ask what bagels were hot, so we know the brand.”
So, when Couturier and his wife, Heather Couturier, decided to start a business, Barry Bagels seemed like a natural.
The couple’s shop opened March 30 at 14250 Clay Terrace Blvd., Suite 120, in Clay Terrace in Carmel. It’s the first one to open in Indiana. The grand opening is set for 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 13.
“We’ve been talking about owning our own business for a long time,” Heather said. “With Bret’s connection with the original location, we felt it was really great for us.”
The Noblesville couple, who both have full time jobs in pharmaceutical clinical research, started conversations with the Barry Bagels corporate team in February 2022 and then signed a franchise agreement a few months later. The couple, who have three children, then began looking for the right spot, finding it in the fall of 2023.
“We love this location in Clay Terrace,” Bret said. “We think it’s good for us and good for the brand.”
They now have the Indianapolis franchise rights and eventually plan to look for more sites to open in the northern suburbs.
Bret said many of their neighbors and friends talked about the need for a good bagel shop on the north side.
The restaurant’s regular hours will begin with hours of 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. seven days a week.
“The baking of the bagels and making the salads is all done here,” Bret said.
The shop will have 10 to 12 employees and a couple of managers. During the grand opening, customers who buy a bagel and cream cheese can get a second one free by mentioning this promotion. The grand opening will also include a gift card giveaway.
For more visit barrybagels.com/carmel.
