Newport Vineyards will debut a new on-site restaurant, Farm & Barrel Bistro, on Friday, May 8 at its Middletown property. The bistro replaces the vineyard’s previous dining program with a farm-to-table concept built around ingredients from the winery’s own farm and greenhouses, paired with estate-grown wines and beers from Taproot Brewing Co., the on-site brewery […]
Business
A look at What’s Up in business in Newport, Rhode Island, and beyond.
Posted inBusiness
Applications open for BlueTIDE 2026 maritime tech demonstration in Newport
Applications are now open for the BlueTIDE 2026 Collaborative Integration Opportunity, a centerpiece of the annual maritime technology demonstration event returning to Newport this summer, Polaris Tech Bridge announced Wednesday. BlueTIDE, hosted by the nonprofit formerly known as 401 Tech Bridge, is designed to accelerate the development and deployment of maritime and dual-use technologies by […]
Posted inNews
BankNewport, Point32Health companies sign on as sponsors of Salve Regina’s mobile health outreach
Salve Regina University announced Wednesday that BankNewport, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan have joined as sponsors of its health and wellness community outreach program, providing financial backing for a mobile health unit that brings care and education to underserved communities across Rhode Island. Harvard Pilgrim and Tufts Health Plan are both Point32Health […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Castle Hill Inn opens dining reservations for 2026 season beginning May 8
Castle Hill Inn announced Tuesday that dining reservations across the property will be available to book beginning May 8, marking another milestone in the Inn’s recovery from a fire that damaged the historic Mansion in February. Reservations for Forbes Five-Star Aurelia at Castle Hill and The Lawn Terrace will be available through OpenTable starting May […]
Posted inFood & Drink
A conversation with Robert Andreozzi: Littleneck Hospitality Group arrives at Hotel Viking
Newport’s dining scene is getting a major addition this spring. Last month, Hotel Viking announced that it had officially partnered with Providence-based Littleneck Hospitality Group to launch four new food and beverage concepts inside the historic property, setting the stage for one of the most exciting openings of the season. Behind the group are Robert […]
Posted inBusiness
Greater Newport Chamber announces winners of 20th annual Excellence in Business Awards
The Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 20th annual Excellence in Business Awards on April 8 at the Wyndham Newport Atlantic Resort, honoring six local businesses across as many categories before a crowd of more than 120 guests. Lee Merrill of Centreville Bank and Dr. Missy Varao of Salve Regina University co-emceed the event, […]
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 […]
Posted inBusiness
The Vanderbilt in Newport adds redesigned event space inspired by its Gilded Age roots
The Vanderbilt, Auberge Collection has completed a renovation of its Vanderbilt Room, a newly transformed event space at the historic downtown Newport property. The room, located on the lower level of the former Gilded Age mansion, was designed in collaboration with Herkworks Architecture, Whetstone Millwork and Blue Point Construction. The renovation brings the space in […]
Posted inBusiness
Grey Sail Brewing and sister companies roll out spring and summer lineups
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, […]
Posted inBusiness
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 […]
Posted inBusiness
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 […]
Posted inNews
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 […]
Posted inBusiness
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. […]
Posted inBusiness
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 […]
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
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 […]
Posted inBusiness
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 […]
Posted inBusiness
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 […]
Posted inBusiness
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 […]
Posted inBusiness
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 […]
Posted inBusiness
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 […]