Grey Sail Brewing of Rhode Island is welcoming warmer weather with a fresh round of seasonal releases, joined by sister companies South County Distillers and Groton, Connecticut’s Outer Light Brewing Company. Grey Sail’s spring and summer lineup features four new offerings: Blueberry Break Wheat Ale and Raspberry Reef Wheat Ale, both available in Rhode Island, […]
Business
A look at What’s Up in business in Newport, Rhode Island, and beyond.
Posted inBusiness
Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce to host annual expo April 8 in Middletown
The Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce will host its annual expo next week, bringing together more than 70 local businesses and organizations for a free community event. The 2026 EXPO takes place Wednesday, April 8, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at the Wyndham Newport Atlantic Resort, 240 Aquidneck Ave. in Middletown. Admission and on-site parking […]
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A first look at Claw & Hammer, Stone Crab & Seafood Restaurant
I was invited by the Heritage Group to check out their newest restaurant, Claw & Hammer, ahead of its official opening on April 4. For anyone who has spent time in Newport, you know 527 Thames Street. Scales & Shells was a staple for a long time. One of those places people remember for what […]
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Giusto and Mother Pizzeria are leaving Track 15; Yagi Noodles and Grumpy Pies are moving in
Track 15, the food hall at 1 Union Station in downtown Providence, is welcoming two new concepts this spring after Giusto PVD and Mother Pizzeria PVD announced they will not be renewing their leases in order to focus on their Newport operations. Mother Pizzeria’s last day at Track 15 is Sunday, March 29. Newport’s Mother […]
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Preservation Society of Newport County to host job fair March 19
Job seekers looking for part-time and seasonal work can meet with hiring managers at the Preservation Society of Newport County’s Job Fair on Thursday, March 19, from 3 to 6 p.m. at the organization’s headquarters at 424 Bellevue Ave. Available positions include tour guides, museum custodians, security guards, retail and food service associates, special events […]
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Newport International Boat Show reports $22.5 million in economic impact for Rhode Island during 2025 event
The Newport International Boat Show generated more than $22.5 million in economic impact for Rhode Island during its 2025 event, according to a newly released economic impact study. The show, which took place Sept. 11-14, 2025, at the Newport Yachting Center in downtown Newport, drew 30,000 attendees from across the country and around the world. […]
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What if the bar came to you on St. Patrick’s Day? These mini Irish pubs make it a reality
By LEAH WILLINGHAM Associated Press READING, Mass. (AP) — Just before St. Patrick’s Day, an Irish pub appeared one night beneath a basketball hoop in a suburban Massachusetts driveway. Neighbors packed around the bar as music played and Guinness flowed — inside a miniature pub that had been towed in for the night. Instead of heading […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Newport’s Opera House has been under renovation for 25 years. It’s still not open.
When first conceived, organizers were exuberant about the possibilities a reopened historic opera house on Newport’s Washington Square would bring to the community. The Newport Performing Arts Center project received more than $4.2 million, second largest of nine grants from a 2014 Creative and Cultural Economy Bond. Randy Rosenbaum, then executive director of the Rhode […]
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Movies and TV shows casting in Rhode Island
The glitz and glam of Hollywood captures the attention of Americans starting from an early age. Beyond celebrities’ Instagram Stories and red carpet poses, there are actors out there paying their dues and honing their craft in pursuit of a sustainable career or a fulfilling sideline. Submitting to casting calls is a big part of […]
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The Vanderbilt teams up with The Macallan for a weekend of whisky, classic cars, and fine dining
The Vanderbilt, Auberge Collection is partnering with The Macallan for a two-day whisky and heritage experience at the historic Newport estate March 27-28. “A Weekend with The Macallan at the Mansion” invites guests to explore the Scottish whisky brand’s celebrated expressions through bespoke tastings, an intimate paired dinner and the property’s first-ever Macallan Reserve Room […]
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Castle Hill Inn reopens to overnight guests one month after fire
Castle Hill Inn reopened to registered overnight guests Thursday, exactly one month after a fire tore through the third-floor attic of the historic Mansion on the evening of Feb. 5. Guests can now book stays in the Inn’s Beach Houses and Beach Cottages, with the Chalet serving as the hub of operations. The Chalet will […]
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Electric Boat to add 3,500 jobs at Quonset Point, Reed says
Federal investments in submarine production are expected to bring 3,500 new jobs to Electric Boat’s Quonset Point facility in the coming year, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed announced Friday. The Rhode Island Democrat, who serves as ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said General Dynamics Electric Boat is projected to hire 8,000 workers total […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Movies and TV shows casting in Rhode Island
The glitz and glam of Hollywood captures the attention of Americans starting from an early age. Beyond celebrities’ Instagram Stories and red carpet poses, there are actors out there paying their dues and honing their craft in pursuit of a sustainable career or a fulfilling sideline. Submitting to casting calls is a big part of […]
Posted inBusiness
Middletown-based SENEDIA receives $195,500 grant to continue defense workforce program
The alliance for defense technology and innovation headquartered in Middletown received a $195,500 grant to continue connecting job seekers with careers in Rhode Island’s $7.6 billion defense sector. Real Jobs Rhode Island awarded the grant to SENEDIA to fund its Defense Partnership Program, which offers direct hire opportunities, internships and training in defense-related fields. The […]
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Newport Vineyards names new executive chef
Newport Vineyards & Taproot Brewing Co. has hired Kyle Johnson as its new executive chef, the vineyard announced on its Facebook page Feb. 6, tapping a Johnson & Wales University graduate with a resume that includes stints at some of Boston’s most acclaimed restaurants. Johnson replaces Andy Teixeira, who stepped down in October after nearly […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Michele Gallagher: America’s love affair with coffee dates back to Colonial times
A friend recently gifted me Robert Mastin’s newly published book, Liberty Call: When Newport Was Home to the Atlantic Fleet. As an enthusiastic student of local history — and someone raised in a military family — I read every word. Much has been written about Newport’s Colonial and Gilded Age eras. Far less has been […]
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Rhode Island lands 8 winners in Forbes Travel Guide’s 2026 Star Awards, including new Five-Star for Aurelia at Castle Hill
Eight Rhode Island properties earned recognition in Forbes Travel Guide’s 2026 Star Awards, announced Tuesday, with Aurelia at Castle Hill Inn among just three new Five-Star restaurants in the United States this year. Aurelia, a New England-influenced prix fixe restaurant inside the Gilded Age mansion on Ocean Drive, joins 82 Five-Star restaurants worldwide. The other […]
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Hotel Viking partners with Littleneck Hospitality Group for new restaurant, bar concepts ahead of spring reopening
Hotel Viking announced Tuesday evening that it is partnering with Providence-based Littleneck Hospitality Group to launch new restaurant and bar concepts at the historic hotel ahead of its reopening this spring. Littleneck Hospitality Group is the team behind Pizza Marvin, which opened in 2020, and Club Frills, which opened in 2025. The group is led […]
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Castle Hill Inn to begin welcoming guests again March 5; restaurants targeting Memorial Day reopening
Castle Hill Inn announced Tuesday that it will begin welcoming overnight guests again on March 5, less than a month after a two-alarm fire caused significant damage to the historic Ocean Drive property. The fire, which broke out the evening of Feb. 5, has been deemed accidental and was related to the use of a […]
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Gardiner Provisions opens on Thames Street
The team behind the Gardiner House hotel has opened Gardiner Provisions, a new bakery and coffee bar at 429 Thames St. The shop brings together house-made breads, French pastry classics and seasonal specialties alongside a carefully crafted coffee program, adding a new gathering spot to the Thames Street corridor. The menu is led by Gardiner […]
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White Horse Tavern named among America’s top romantic restaurants
The White Horse Tavern has been named one of the top 100 romantic restaurants in America by OpenTable, the online reservation platform announced in its 2026 rankings. The historic restaurant at 26 Marlborough St. earned a 4.8 rating from diners and was one of just two Rhode Island establishments to make the national list. Boat […]
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RE/MAX Results opens new office in North Kingstown
RE/MAX Results, a full-service real estate brokerage, has opened a new office in North Kingstown, expanding its statewide presence to three locations. The new office joins existing locations in Middletown and Warwick, creating what the brokerage described as a convenient hub for agents and clients throughout South County and beyond. “Expanding into North Kingstown allows […]
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SENEDIA names Rhode Island National Guard chief of staff as next executive director
SENEDIA, the Middletown-based alliance for defense technology, talent and innovation, has named Col. Stephen Guertin as its next executive director, the organization announced Wednesday. Guertin, who most recently served as chief of staff for the Rhode Island Army National Guard, brings more than two decades of experience in defense and government to the role. He […]
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Heritage Restaurant Group under contract to acquire The Mews Tavern in Wakefield
The Mews Tavern, a longtime South County gathering spot that has operated on Main Street since 1947, is set to change hands after Heritage Restaurant Group announced Monday it is under contract to acquire the Wakefield establishment. The transaction is expected to close later this year, pending customary approvals. The restaurant will continue operating at […]
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Potter League receives $2.9 million bequest, largest gift in organization’s history
The Potter League for Animals announced it has received a $2.9 million bequest from longtime volunteer Roxann Press, the largest single gift in the organization’s nearly 100-year history. The transformative donation was recognized during the Potter League’s annual meeting Wednesday at the Newport Harbor Hotel and Marina, where supporters and community leaders gathered despite frigid […]