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Of Bread and Sandwiches

Q&A with Keeley Parsons, Owner of Bread and Bunny

Megan Baker Aug 14, 2024 13:00 PM

In a town where food trucks are as common as pine trees, one whimsical truck is bounding its way to the top. Meet Bread and Bunny, the brainchild of Keeley Parsons, where sando meets salad, creatively accompanied by quality and a touch of magic.

With a name that came to her in a dream and a menu that changes with the seasons, Bread and Bunny is not just a food truck — it's an experience. You'll find Bread and Bunny at Midtown Yacht Club on the east side of Bend. Y'all can't miss the truck; it's wrapped with a giant black-and-white photo of a bunny wearing heart glasses (swoon), making it stand out amongst just about any food truck I've ever seen. Parsons is also the entrepreneur behind TOTS!, also located at the Yacht Club. Join me as I hare-plunge into a li'l Q&A with the talent behind Bread and Bunny to discover why it's capturing the hearts (and stomachs) of locals.

MB Photography

Source Weekly: What inspired you to start this food truck?

Keely Parsons: The name of Bread and Bunny came to me in my sleep. I sat up in bed and said, "THIS is Bread and Bunny," in my best Guy Fieri voice, and then put that name in the notes section in my phone quite a while ago. I thought there was a need for a great sandwich and salad joint in this town, and bread and lettuce provide unlimited topping and ingredient freedoms.

SW: What is your signature menu item, and what makes it special?

KP: There really isn't a signature menu item. We laugh because ordering bread properly is impossible. The people choose something different to love the most each day.

SW: How has the local community contributed to your success?

KP: The local community has tried us out and cheered us on. We have enjoyed the flow of familiar faces. Without that community support, we wouldn't be here, so we place a tremendous amount of value on that support.

SW: Do you source your ingredients locally? If so, which local farms or suppliers do you work with?

KP: We source what we can locally and use the best ingredients possible. David and Megan [Kellner-Rode] from Boundless Farmstead deliver twice a week, and we order anything and everything we can from them in regard to fresh veggies and all of our salad mix. We use Sisters Bakery and Sparrow Bakery for our breads. Our jam from Alchemist's Jam is a splurge, but we're worth it. We have the best sauerkraut around from Blue Bus out of White Salmon, Washington, and their kombucha we offer as well is smooth and amazing. Our pastrami is special in that it is Wagyu and ridiculous —provided by Tempesta. We source various meats from Olympia Provisions that we slice daily. Our smoked provolone is from Ferndale Farmstead out of Washington. Our thick cut bacon is from Hill's Premium Meats out of Pendleton. We offer award-winning Maia cheese from Briar Rose Creamery out of Dundee. Just so you know: we also serve Cheez Whiz as an option for our Philly and are proud of it.

MB Photography
The BLTA on Sisters Bakery sourdough.

SW: Can you share a personal favorite from your menu and why it's special to you?

KP: My personal favorite would be the Great Steak Sando. It's both sweet and savory. The Farmhouse Tuna is another go-to. It's just a great tuna mixture with fresh farm veggies, cold crisp red leaf from Boundless, the tang of Duke's Mayo, the crispy texture of Granny Smith apples, and creamy hints of cheese with soft Sisters Bakery multigrain.

If you've ever eaten out with me you'll know that menus are always tough. I have a hard time with decisions. It helped that I looked them up ahead of time. I ordered a BLTA (bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado) on thick slices of Sisters Bakery sourdough bread (huge fan), and this bread did not disappoint. The variety of lettuce coupled with thick cuts of tomato was a delightful combo... I'm already thinking about which sam I'm gonna try next. Hop on over and give them a try! One more thing: just so you know, the portions are huge! I had to bring it home and finish it with a knife and fork because it was too big to try and eat graciously in public.

Bread and Bunny food truck
At Midtown Yacht Club
1661 NE 4th St., Bend
Instagram @bread.and.bunny

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