The owners of OATS Granola are two creative Westport moms who stumbled upon their granola food adventure after meeting each other in New York City prior to moving to Connecticut.
“There are a lot of creative businesses that come out of Westport. It is the makeup of the population,” said OATS Granola co-owner Dana Noorily. “It’s a very artsy town. You have people always thinking of the next thing.”
Both Noorily and her business partner, OATS co-owner Julie Gaines, are “die-hard foodies,” which was their bond when they met in New York City. Both owners lived in the Upper West Side of Manhattan for more than ten years before moving to Westport to raise their families.
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The two came up with the granola idea and before they knew it, they were making it in Gaines’ kitchen. The company “spiraled from there,” according to Noorily.
“Granola is unique. Chefs are using it in their recipes,” Noorily said. “That was the genesis behind our company.”
OATS has four flavors and is sold in 50 Whole Foods stores, the Westport Fresh Market and at the Double L Market in Westport.
“We sell up and down the northeast and we hope to expand out of that,” Noorily said. “So far it has been good outside of Fairfield Country.”
OATS’ original blend has cinnamon, nutmeg and clove and reminds people of Thanksgiving and Christmas, Noorily said. There is also dark chocolate, vanilla almond and toasted coconut for people who want nut-free granola.
OATS also has a relationship with Dannon, which opened the Yogurt Culture Company, located south of Grand Central Station in New York City on 39th Street and Park Avenue, Noorily said. Yogurt is brought in fresh daily, which is then mixed with OATS granola to make parfaits, granola bows and smoothies.
For more information on the company, visit their website at www.oatsgranola.com.
