CRANSTON – A prominent restaurant within the Chapel View mixed-use retail and residential property will see significant changes soon.
Carpionato Group announced Friday that Chapel Grille, developed and opened in 2011 by the late Alfred Carpionato along Chapel View Boulevard and Sockanosset Cross Road, will be transitioned to the Circe Group and be re-envisioned as “Circe Prime.” Local restauranteurs Carlo Carlozzi and Kyle Poland, both of whom operate Circe locations in Providence and East Greenwich, will operate the soon-to-be Circe Prime.
Carpionato Group spokesperson Krystal Carcieri Carnes told Providence Business News on Friday via email that “it was time for a change” to pass Chapel Grille on to Circe Group. In a formal statement posted online, Carpionato Group trustee Sheryl Carpionato said that all things “must eventually give way to change, and with that change comes new opportunity.”
Sheryl Carpionato also said the group in selecting Circe Group wanted to ensure that the new operator was “well-established and successful in the Rhode Island market and would appreciate and align their vision to the beauty of this space.”
“Now, it is time to honor the past while reimagining this beautifully restored historic building for the future,” she said. “We believe Carlo and Kyle are the perfect stewards for this gem in our portfolio and will create a new legacy that remains true to my late husband’s vision.”
Over the years, Chapel Grille
had been recognized with Restaurant Awards by national publication Wine Spectator. The awards are given to restaurants whose wine selections consist of 350 or more selections from multiple wine-growing regions and/or from top wine producers, showing a unique commitment to wine.
Carpionato Group says Chapel Grille will recognize all gift cards through 2025 when Circe Prime opens in April. Current restaurant employees who wish to stay on under Circe Group will be afforded the opportunity to do so, Carpionato Group says.
The current restaurant will operate “as normal” this month, Carpionato Group says, and will operate during February and March for all previously booked private events. Then “cosmetic enhancements” will be made to the restaurant for about six weeks to give Chapel Grille a “Circe feel,” the group says.
“We are excited to blend our style of hospitality with the amazing venue the Carpionato Group has created” Carlozzi said in a statement
. “Our goal is to provide a memorable dining experience where our guests can not only enjoy a high-level cuisine but enjoy a fun an exciting atmosphere as well.”
(UPDATED 3rd paragraph to include comment from Carpionato Group spokesperson Krystal Carcieri Carnes.)
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on X at @James_Bessette.
