The Rosendale Set to Open in Downtown Providence
Sunday, August 30, 2015
The Rosendale is slated to open in downtown Providence in the coming weeks, and while the bar-and-restaurant at 55 Union Street will be a new addition to the restaurant scene, its roots go back at least a hundred years
"We said we wanted to do something neighborhood friendly, an after-work spot that caters to business professionals," said Frank Manfredi, who entered into the project with partner Garry Williams. "It had been a piano bar, there was a liquor license for that location, and we realized there was a big opportunity."
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTManfredi, who manages the Roxy, said that in coming up with the name, the history of the city was the deciding factor.
"When I thought of a name, I wanted to be universal," said Manfredi. "I had a picture from 1919 of The Strand, and I could see the space we were using used to be called the The Rosendale Company — it was top hat company. I thought the name was perfect, it’s open for everything. And we've being doing some cool stuff. Downtown, the neighbors -- everyone's very excited. There's definitely a buzz."
What to Expect
The decor is "kind of a prohibition bar," based on Providence history, said Manfredi.
"I’m trying to get some old maps of downtown, and the first actual liquor license [given] after prohibition," continued Manfredi, who used to work for the city's public works department. "The ceilings had been dropped down to 7 feet. We moved them back to their orginal 30 feet."
As for food, Manfredi said the concept is focused on the needs of the lunchtime crowd.
"We'll have an upscale pub menu, flatbreads, paninis and pressed sandwiches. A lot of people on lunch break don't have a lot of time -- so we don’t want them to wait too long," said Manfredi. "My chef's going to be going around [the city] in the coming weeks with some of his offerings, to let folks know what we'll be featuring at the Rosendale."
Manfredi noted that the entertainment would be featuring a new music offering to the east coast.
"We'll have Pandora during the week, but we'll be also be featuring "Sax on Fire," said Manfredi. "It's a cool concept -- you bring in a saxophone player, and pair him with a house DJ — it caters to anyone from their 20s to the 50s. It's popular out west, San Diego, and I want to be one of the first to bring it here."
Manfredi said there were a few more "finishing touches' to take care of before the Rosdendale officially opens. "We want to be a spot for football, too."
And what does Monfredi think of a stadium proposal for downtown?
"I see there’s so many people against it, with 38 Studios and everything," said Manfredi. "But as someone who’s in hospitality it will be better for hotels, restaurants and downtown in general, to have more people in the city."
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