the Seekonk River.
The Gatehouse, an elegant East Side restaurant overlooking the Seekonk River, has been sold to the owners of the three-month-old Mill’s Tavern on Providence’s South Main Street.
The Providence Hospitality Group, led by local chef Jaime D’Oliveira, whose resume includes The Capital Grille and Angels Restaurant, completed the purchase from Henry Kates for an undisclosed amount last week.
The deal also included Gatehouse Catering Company.
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D’Oliveira and his business partner Ken Cusson plan to keep the Gatehouse name, but will move from an eclectic American menu to seafood and will change the décor. The Gatehouse, located at 4 Richmond Square, will be closed briefly during the summer for renovations, only after weddings and other events previously booked at the restaurant are held.
The new owners plan to add several other restaurants to their company.
Kates said he sold the restaurant to concentrate on his other ventures, The Cheeky Monkey Café in Newport and Blackstone Catering in Middletown.
Over the last eight years, The Gatehouse has received local and national recognition for its food and service. Its view of the Seekonk River and the restaurant’s atmosphere has led to its status as one of Rhode Island’s most romantic spots for a meal.
Kates, who has a background in insurance and real estate, said he fell in love with the restaurant business while shaping The Gatehouse.
"I’ve invested a lot of money. It was a labor of love, but I made it into a place that I wanted it to be," he said. "I will miss the people, both customers and employees."
The Providence Hospitality Group said it will retain The Gatehouse’s employees. The company will also bring back a familiar face. Steve Marsella will return as the executive chef of The Gatehouse, which he left several years ago to help Kates run a second Cheeky Monkey in South Beach, Fla.
D’Oliveira and Cusson are not new to the Providence restaurant scene.
D’Oliveira, whose initial exposure to restaurant cooking was at a Newport Creamery at the age of 15, has worked at Angels Restaurant in Providence, Arboretum in East Providence and Alforno’s in Providence.
Food & Wine magazine called him one of the country’s top 10 new chefs, according to his company’s press release. He has since concentrated more on restaurant management.
After leaving Angels, he was hired by local restaurateur Ned Grace, founder of the Capital Grille, among other popular restaurants. As corporate executive chef and director of kitchen operations, D’Oliveira oversaw the opening of 10 Capital Grilles throughout the country.
After Grace sold the chain, D’Oliveira partnered with Cusson, a former Capital Grille manager. Along with doing consulting work, the two opened the trendy Mill’s Tavern on March 1.
