Opened
Apple Cinemas, a small chain of movie theaters, but one with more goodwill and pleasantness than many bigger chains, will be taking over the cinemas at Providence Place Mall. Ultimately, movie junkies only had to sit out for a week between owners, but the deal came together so quickly, employees we interviewed on the last day of the Showcase operation had no idea what might come next. Apple has announced a trampoline park and bowling lounge as part of upcoming renovations. Hopefully not too close, as bowling balls on trampolines are known for their destructive capacity. More on this next issue. applecinemas.com
Birdie’s Hot Chicken has taken up the slack in chicken places, with a new store in Tribos Peri Peri’s old location at 183 Angell St, and they’re already up and serving as part of another small chicken chain … with pretty much the same color scheme and offerings, but more Nashville and less Portugal. birdieshotchickenma.com
La Catrina Tacos and Tequila is a new restaurant/bar in downcity PVD. They offer $2 Street Tacos daily from 3 – 5pm. According to staff, they have no owner or GM, but there is a robust drink menu and the food looks delicious. 127 Dorrance St, PVD. lacatrinatacosandtequilas.com
Next to the thriving coffee place Caffe Nero is a new culinary attraction called, promisingly, Yumi Bar. With a super-friendly and healthy vibe, they’re offering bowls, acai, and custom-blended smoothies to downtown PVD (not the hard liquor kind of bar). 75 Fountain St, PVD. yumibar.com
The Blue Room: Newly renovated with a sparkling kitchen and new owner Jen Freitas, of The District, this upgrade promises to feature a lot of local music every weekend – the reopen has been highly anticipated, and is still a “soft open” as of this writing. Try the French Onion Soup, which is sure to be famous. 2197 Broad St, Cranston. theblueroom.com
Closed
Showcase Cinemas in the PVD Place Mall, obv. (see above).
Yas Chicken on Thayer St has closed its Providence store, but the chain still has five Massachusetts locations if you have a serious addiction.
Tribos Peri Peri, also known for its chicken, has also closed its Angell St, PVD location, but not its 8 locations in other states. What is Providence doing to scare so many chickens away? tribosperiperi.com
Tom’s Market, at 821 Tiogue Ave in Coventry, has announced that it will be shutting down operations – but it’s not clear what the last date will be yet. So grab your prime cuts while you can!
Durk’s BBQ – this one tugs at the heartstrings, as their pitmasters enjoyed a well-deserved reputation for doing BBQ decadently right. Bonus RI-usetabe-points if you can remember the incongruous business that held this Aborn location before Durk’s, about a decade ago. The shop will be open until the end of November, so you still have a chance to go pig out for old time’s sake.