Get Out and Eat - Kristen Adamo

Get Out and Eat - Kristen Adamo

As the destination marketing organization for Providence, we strive to fill hotel rooms with leisure travelers, meeting delegates, and student athletes and their families. In doing this, we compete with cities nationwide that often have the same basics — great convention center, walkable downtown, easy transportation access. To really succeed, you have to tell the story of the city. Who are its people? What do they value? What is the thing they can do that no one else can? In Providence, we can tell our story by the forkful.

Our food culture is one of the city’s greatest assets, and right now it needs active, visible support from residents, workers, and visitors. Restaurants are not just places to eat; they are engines of culture, small-business entrepreneurship, and economic vitality that help define Providence’s identity as a creative, culinary capital.

Providence has earned national recognition for its restaurants. This year’s James Beard Award nominations include five Providence chefs and restaurants. That level of recognition does not happen by accident. It reflects decades of talent, risk-taking, and hard work by restaurateurs who choose to build their businesses here rather than in larger markets. These nominations put Providence on the map, attract culinary tourists, and reinforce the city’s reputation as a destination for people who care deeply about food. Supporting Providence restaurants is, in turn, supporting the very reputation that drives visitors to the city.

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GoProvidence has been marketing the city as a top culinary destination for more than two decades. We talk about the rich immigrant tradition, the abundance of seafood from Narragansett Bay, and the caliber of culinary talent associated with Johnson & Wales. There is nowhere else in the United States that can boast of that incredible mix.

It is also important to recognize that most restaurants in Providence are small, locally owned businesses operating on extremely narrow margins. Unlike large chains, these establishments do not have deep financial cushions to absorb sudden cost increases, staffing shortages, or unexpected drops in foot traffic. Rent, utilities, food costs, and labor expenses continue to rise, while profit margins remain razor-thin even in the best of times. A few slow weeks can have outsized consequences for independent operators who are deeply tied to the local economy and workforce.

The recent snowstorm and cold snap have had a profound effect on our restaurants, particularly because they occurred during Providence Restaurant Weeks. In a time that is meant to get people into the restaurants, these winter conditions have reduced foot traffic. Bad weather can mean empty tables and lost revenue that cannot easily be recovered. These weather-related disruptions are yet another reminder of how vulnerable small hospitality businesses can be.

Supporting restaurants now — by dining out, attending Restaurant Weeks, buying gift cards, or simply spreading the word — helps ensure that this nationally recognized culinary community continues to thrive. When restaurants succeed, they animate the streets, create jobs, support local suppliers, and contribute to the city’s overall quality of life. Choosing to support them is ultimately choosing to support Providence itself. We need to keep telling our story.

Kristen Adamo is the president and CEO of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau (PWCVB) – a non-profit organization responsible for promoting the cities of Providence and Warwick to meeting and convention planners