A look at the RI restaurants that have closed halfway through 2024

More than halfway through 2024, Rhode Island has seen the closures of long-established restaurants as well as newer wineries and breweries.

Some of the closings came after more than a decade or more in business. A few restaurants have been sold and will reopen with new owners. Other closings have been attributed to traffic issues created by the Washington Bridge along the Providence/East Providence line.

Some would say the hospitality world is still shaking out after challenges that first emerged during the days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bottom line is some beloved spots are gone and change continues in the restaurant world both in Providence and the suburbs.

Just last weekend, diners said farewell to Broadway Bistro in Providence and LineSider Brewing Company in East Greenwich.

LineSider owner Jeremy Ruff posted the news on social media a week ago that his family decided to sell the company. He said they would cease operations last Sunday as they were approaching the closing date. The brewery has operated for five years and was the first one to open in East Greenwich.

Broadway Bistro owner Patrick Lowney gave diners a few months to say goodbye when he announced the closing after a long run. "It’s about that time," they posted on social media. "16+ years of hard work, fun and everything else in between. We could not have asked for a better run."

Lowney is also a co-owner at Slow Rhode, which is nearby at 425 West Fountain St.

Armando Bisceglia, a long time Federal Hill restaurant manager, opened his own restaurant, Bacco Vino & Contorni just days before the pandemic shutdown in March 2020. Later that summer, he was hospitalized with COVID-19 but recovered and returned to the restaurant.

He closed the doors at Bacco on June 9. But he's already announced he will open a new place in Providence named Dolce & Salato. For now, he hosts "The Armando Experience," dinner each Tuesday night at Scotti's Salumeria, an East Greenwich restaurant at 4654 Post Rd.

One closing led to new collaboration.

James Davids and Marissa Stashenko shut down their Anchor & Hope Wine , an East Providence winery in May, after four years. But they immediately signed on as winemaker and operations director at Sakonnet Vineyard in Little Compton. They are collaborating with Sakonnet owner Carolyn Rafaelian to launch new wines, revive the culinary legacy and implement organic and sustainable farming.

They've already launched new tastings. Customers can sip Sakonnet wines at the property, complemented by a selection of handcrafted grab-and-go and made-to-order menu items from chef Matt Weston.

Out and In

There was also a happy ending in Narragansett where Trio Kitchen + Bar closed after a 16-year run. It was replaced by Celeste as the latest addition to the Newport Restaurant Group. The restaurant serves coastal European cuisine, and the location at 15 Kingstown Road has been designed with a reconfigured patio and outdoor bar to enhance al fresco dining.

After almost a decade of operation, chef/owner Richard Allaire closed his Metacom Kitchen in Warren in April. But the good news was that Newport restaurant Scales & Shells announced Allaire as their new chef. The seafood restaurant is at 527 Thames St.

On Federal Hill, Hanju Kitchen ceased servicing the Royal Bobcat cocktail bar in May. As of three weeks ago, they have a new kitchen named Sadie's on the Bayou with chef Sam Whatley.

Closed in February was Kleos, a modern Mediterranean restaurant owned by Lauren Lynch and Tom Bovis. The restaurant was opened in 2017, a homage to Bovis' Greek roots. The couple also own and still operate Rosalina, an Italian restaurant at 50 Aborn St. Earlier this year, Kleos was one of a handful of establishments barred by the city from serving alcohol as they failed to meet the requirements for a renewed liquor license.

Currently closed is E lli e's , the Providence bakery, pâtisserie and bistro inspired by the tastes and feel of Paris. It will be moving into 250 Westminster St., the former Kleo's space. Ellie's had to close after their building at 225 Weybosset St. was sold.

Restaurateur Ellen Gracyalny, owner of Gracie's restaurant, opened Ellie's back in 2012. She hopes to open in their new space with indoor and outdoor seating this summer with the same breakfast and lunch service they offered. Plans are to expand with an evening wine bar in the fall, she said.

Johnny's Victory Diner in Burrillville was sold at the end of May. New owners now operate in the space as the Burrillville Diner.  Johnny and Rhonda Hanaway are still doing catering and barbecue, and you can learn more on their Facebook page .

Plant City X in Middletown closed in February. But owner Kim Anderson has opened a second Plant City food hall in Barrington. (The original is in Providence.) The new food hall is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Barrington Shopping Center. It offers all plant-based favorites including breakfast items, salads and sandwiches, pizzas and pastas, tacos, burgers and baked goods. There is a curated marketplace, too.

Like No Udder , the vegan ice cream shop and baked goods cafe, opened at 783 Hope St. in Providence. The owners closed their Ives Street location in March when their lease was not renewed. Karen Krinsky and her husband, Chris Belanger, started the business with a food truck before opening the brick-and-mortar location in 2016. They are now in the same space as Providence Vegan Deli (formerly known as Born From Pain).

Dune Brothers , the popular Providence urban clam shack, will open a second business at 170 Ives St. Their pier-to-plate seafood mission will expand in a big way with the opening of a Providence fish market and restaurant in Fox Point. Owners Monica and Nick Gillespie will also sell to restaurants as part of a new wholesale division.

Closed in Providence

Spread too thin as owner/chef, and with two other businesses, Ben Lloyd closed his Salted Slate at the end of May. The Wayland Square restaurant had a 10-year run serving lunch, brunch and dinner in Providence when he chose not to renew his lease.

He owns and operates The Providence Wine Bar, which is also in Wayland Square, and XO Bar with Scott Champagne on North Main Street in Providence.

A second Wayland Square institution, Minerva's Pizza at 20 South Angell St., also closed in May. Kabalan and Kaylin Habchi bought the restaurant in 2002 and have run the pizzeria since.  The news was reported on Facebook. "Thank you Wayland Square ... we had a good run, it's the end of an era."

Noodles 102 closed on June 8. The Ives Street restaurant in Providence had been run for 17 years by owners Mustafa and Lisa Kuscu. The popular neighborhood spot had a creative Asian fusion menu including noodle dishes and rice bowls. On social media, the owners said "this decision to move on is a result of the harsh economic conditions we are facing [because of] the I-195 bridge repairs." They also indicated a new business may open in fall 2024.

Sold

Last year, Providence's Bayberry Beer Hall went up for sale. Owners Natalie and Tom Dennen announced they found an owner in February, Russell Morin's Catering & Events, a family business with corporate headquarters in Attleboro and an office in Newport. The building on West Fountain Street is still shuttered while Morin's finalizes renovation and conceptual plans.

The couple opened Bayberry in 2017 as the first beer hall in the city. They still own and operate Bayberry Garden in Providence.

Shish Kabob , 555 Mineral Spring Ave., Pawtucket, closed pending new ownership. They made the announcement on Instagram. Two years ago, chef Ali Joneidi and Sogand Raissi took over the restaurant, keeping the previous name of Shish Kabob. But the husband and wife introduced Rhode Island's only Persian restaurant in the small, intimate space. They added tea service and specialties from their native Iran.

Hotel dining changes

Thick Neck closed in The Dean hotel in Providence. Chef Eric Brown and wife Sarah Watts ended their residency at the hotel when before opening their new brunch and lunch spot Frankie & Laurie's at 110 Doyle St. in May. Things are still in the works for a new restaurant, said a hotel rep.

Murphy’s Law closed in Pawtucket at the Comfort Inn. It will become Azul Tequila Bar & Mexican Grill sometime this summer or fall at 2 George St.

Closed in the suburbs

Restaurants that closed this year include: Hunky Dory in Warren, the taco truck Masa Taqueria PVD, Downtown Tilly in East Greenwich and Hooters in Warwick.

Closed temporarily

TwoTen Oyster Bar & Grill , on the scenic Salt Pond in South Kingstown, is closed until further notice after a fire in June. The restaurant opened 10 years ago at 210 Salt Pond Rd. with indoor and outdoor dining and a menu of fresh seafood.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: A look at the RI restaurants that have closed halfway through 2024