I am a foodie at heart. And, let’s not forget the stomach. Enjoying a meal with a friend or family member is one of my love languages. Food, for me, is sanity — something I need to hang onto during these wild days (we all know what I am talking about here). It’s also about building community and strengthening connections — two things that are valuable to this broad who loves a win/win culinary adventure. And that’s why CHOP — the Culinary Hub Of Providence — is spot on.
According to WifiTalents, 70% of diners prefer socially responsible restaurants. That data point fills my heart with joy, and it explains why CHOP, a nonprofit training program and restaurant rolled into one, is the aforementioned win/win.
CHOP is operated by the Genesis Center, a nonprofit located in my neck of the woods, the West Side of Providence, that has spent decades helping community members gain financial independence. It was founded in 1982 to assist refugees from Southeast Asia – Laotian, Hmong, Cambodian and Vietnamese families – who were settling in PVD’s West Side. It has grown to serve many more people over the past four decades. One of its long-running initiatives is culinary training, and CHOP has turned that concept into a 2,000-hour, state-accredited apprenticeship that mixes both front-of-house and chef training. The program is unique: It’s not a classroom with a restaurant attached, it’s a restaurant that is a classroom. Students earn while they learn, gaining real-world experience in an actual dining environment with actual customers, while also getting help with job placement when they complete the eight-week program.
The idea began back in 2011 as a social enterprise initiative. Fast forward eight years, and when a tenant backed out of the Providence Public Library’s newly renovated space, Genesis Center’s CEO Shannon Carroll had a lightbulb moment with a library employee: What if CHOP set up in the space? About a decade later, with a short pause due to you-know-what in 2020, that vision started to come into focus.
The space, designed by Kyla Coburn Designs (the creative genius behind spots like Wara Wara, Troop, and The East End), is both visual eye candy and welcoming, a perfect space for eating and feeling like you are hanging out in a friend’s really cool house. But the real magic isn’t on the walls or floors. It’s in the people who make the sorcery happen.
CHOP’s staff and trainees bring with them a multi-cultural treasure of culinary traditions, some of which have been passed down from mothers and grandmothers across cultures to the students in the program. Those influences infuse the menu, honoring RI’s immigrant roots while presenting dishes in unique, innovative ways. It’s not just cooking, it is cultural storytelling on a plate.
And like many restaurants, CHOP has its version of the family meal. Before service begins, someone prepares a dish for the whole staff to share. It’s a small ritual, but one that reinforces a culture of connection, rather than a workplace where people simply clock in and out.
During my visit, I asked the folks behind CHOP about their favorite dishes. Chef Josh Riazi, who has cooked everywhere from Cambridge to Seattle to Manhattan, surprised me with a clear favorite with a twist: a tuna salad sandwich and a side of crispy fried cauliflower. House Manager Sophie Szych, who brings over 20 years in hospitality to her role, is a huge fan of the gouda mac & cheese. And Shannon Carroll? She’s all about the chicken salad sandwich, or sometimes a Cobb salad might catch her fancy.
Their answers reflect what CHOP does best: combining comfort with craft. The menu shifts with the seasons and always includes vegetarian, vegan, and alcohol-free options, like mocktails with lavender or peach syrup. The cocktails, curated under Sophie’s guidance, are as creative as they are classy. I’ve been in for my favorite Manhattan in the past, but I’ll be sure to return for the Huck Finn, a concoction made with bourbon, house midori, and cappelletti (I had to look that one up — it is an Italian aperitif).
The restaurant program covers every angle of restaurant life, from cooking and plating, to barista skills and customer service. Students rotate through roles, guided by industry veterans on staff, who emphasize consistency, creativity, and curiosity for ingredients. Food prepared at Genesis Center’s training kitchen at their location on the West Side also helps feed participants in other programs — a full-circle impact. Gotta love that.
September marks CHOP’s one-year anniversary as a full-service restaurant, and the buzz is real. By day, it’s a café. By night, it transforms into a fun dinner spot. Weekly specials keep things lively: a Power Lunch at the bar, a Wednesday prix fixe, and a Thursday Date Night (though I rebranded it Girl’s Night Out for my recent visit).
One recent Thursday, I brought my friend Lily. For just $60 total, we shared a bottle of Chilean wine, a cheese and charcuterie board with focaccia, two bistro steaks with mashers, and a brownie sundae that nearly did us in. So much so, I almost asked for a spot to take a nap before heading home. Our server Ana made sure every dish was flawless, and we left two happy gals.
Another detail worth noting: CHOP builds in an 18% gratuity. Two-thirds supports Genesis Center programs and staff wages, while the rest is pooled among the kitchen and service team. It’s a small innovation that keeps the mission at the heart of the business model and is not a hidden fee, which I have been spotting on receipts after eating out at some local spots around town. I am so not a fan of those.
Of course, CHOP is also dealing with challenges courtesy of the shenanigans in DC. With government funding in a who-the-heck-knows-what-is-actually-going-on flux, the program must balance sustainability with its social mission. For now, growth is conservative, but the vision is bold: more special events, more on-the-job training experiments, and possibly even additional locations.
Still, the heart of CHOP remains simple. It’s a learning lab, a restaurant where the food is a fantastic culinary experience, but the bigger story is the people behind it; the trainees finding their footing, the mentors sharing decades of experience, and the community gathering to support both.
When you step inside, you’re investing in the future of hospitality and the people who live here. You’re helping pass down the torch of knowledge, one meal at a time. We can’t lose that because our connection to one another is very important. Enjoying tasty food with other people is one heck of a combination in my book.
So here’s my suggestion: the next time you head to the Providence Public Library to feed your mind, or feed your soul watching a show over at Trinity Rep, make sure to walk on over to CHOP to feed your belly and spirit. It’s a mashup that nourishes both body and community; one I’ll happily be back for again and again. Closed on Sundays and Mondays. Located at 211 Washington St, Providence. Menu and hours at culinaryhubpvd.com.
Photo by author. Left to right: Genesis Center’s CEO Shannon Carroll, House Manager Sophie Szych, Chef Josh Riazi.