For small businesses, the uphill climb was never-ending

TAKING OVER: The Res American Bistro at Washington and Empire streets in downtown Providence closed in 2025, one of numerous restaurants that closed its doors in recent years, but 10 Prime Seafood quickly remodeled and moved in soon after. 
COURTESY CHOW FUN FOOD GROUP
TAKING OVER: The Res American Bistro at Washington and Empire streets in downtown Providence closed in 2025, one of numerous restaurants that closed its doors in recent years, but 10 Prime Seafood quickly remodeled and moved in soon after. 
COURTESY CHOW FUN FOOD GROUP

For Rhode Island’s small businesses, the last five years have demanded constant adjustment. Pandemic shutdowns in early 2020, rising wages, labor shortages and new infrastructure pressures forced owners to rethink nearly every aspect of running their businesses. Add the arrival of a massive Amazon fulfillment center in Johnston in late 2024 and the unexpected closure

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