Roots Natural Foods has just relocated, and it is now so much more convenient to visit. After more than two decades on Crawford Street in Leominster, the store is now inside Emerson Falls, a converted factory building at 44 Old Princeton Road in Fitchburg, overlooking a beautiful spot on the falls of the Nashua River.
My family has always loved Roots, but the previous location just wasn’t close enough to make it a regular stop. Marieke Cormier’s mother, Ellen Jonkers, opened the store in 2002, and Marieke has been the face of Roots since 2011. Before online shopping and Covid, it had a devoted following, even in a spot that was never exactly on the way to anywhere. I’m so excited to see what today’s consumers (back to supporting local) and the convenient location with seasonal outdoor seating will do.
The building has a story of its own. Alvah Crocker established a paper mill here around 1850, at the headwaters of the Nashua River, where a dam powered the operation (hence the falls). It made paper for roughly 150 years before closing in 2003, and businesses began moving into the refurbished mill in 2019.
The new space is expansive, with plenty of room for perishable and non-perishable groceries, locally sourced produce, health and beauty items, and grab and go foods.
But the cafe. I could spend all day there. Marieke and her partner, chef Kevin Williams, opened the cafe at Roots together, and it has made the move with them. Jay and I went for lunch the other day. He had the roast beef sandwich — house-made garlic rubbed grass-fed beef, Rattle Root Farm lettuce, organic tomato, Roots pickled onions, cheddar cheese, and horseradish aioli — and I had the Wrangler Salad: local mixed greens, diced tomatoes, cumin lime black beans, fresh corn, queso cheese, pasture-raised chicken, avocado, sriracha agave drizzle, local organic tortilla strips, and chipotle hemp seed ranch. (Not from my memory, but from the menu.)
The atmosphere is welcoming and friendly, and it’s a great place to get some work done. The space is large, with high ceilings and a view. The complex also has a cobblestone patio overlooking the falls, which I am filing away for spring.
I’m so happy for the Roots team that the store and cafe have found a place that I’m sure will be a great move for them.
I will be watching for upcoming Classes + Events at Roots Natural Foods, which include classes in their yoga studio and community space. You can sign up for the Roots newsletter to hear about them too.
A few other things worth a look:
- Thanksgiving catering and birds
- Grazing tables and boards
- Online grocery ordering for pickup and delivery
- Roots Rewards
- Gift cards
- Recipes
Roots Natural Foods, 44 Old Princeton Road, Fitchburg, (978) 534-7668, rootsnaturalfoods.com
How to find the new Roots Natural Foods? It’s just off Route 2 at exit 95 (we know it as exit 28, but it’s 95 now). It’s the Route 31 exit. Head toward Fitchburg and take the right onto Old Turnpike Road just after Honey Farms and Dunkin’.
