PROVIDENCE – Trinity Brewhouse officially reopened under new ownership last week after what co-owner Angel Winpenny said was months of extensive and in some cases unexpected renovation.
The longtime downtown restaurant and brewery was acquired in June 2025 by Winpenny, a local restaurateur, her husband, Jason, and family partners from The Patio on Broadway. The purchase marked a new chapter for the establishment previously owned by former state Sen. Joshua Miller, who opened it in 1994.
Winpenny already knew she planned to keep the Trinity Brewhouse name, but reopening proved more complicated than expected, she said. After closing in August for renovations, she planned to reopen in the fall, but the work proved more extensive than anticipated.
"One project led to another and we just kept finding more things that needed work," she said. "The building needed a lot of love." She could not immediately say how much money the new owners have invested in the renovations.
The interior historically was known for its dark, wood‑paneled walls and dim lighting that gave the space a cozy, lived‑in feel and helped define Trinity’s aged, pub‑style atmosphere.
Now, visitors to the 186 Fountain St. pub can see the transformation.
The restored bar gleams with polished wood and brass accents under brighter, warmer lighting. The row of taps now pops, giving the space a modern, airy feel while preserving its classic brewpub charm.
Winpenny said that the most time-consuming aspect of restoring Trinity Brewhouse went into preserving the most original aspects of it.
The prominent inside mural it's known for, featuring a lineup of music legends – from John Lennon and Kurt Cobain to Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra – was moved to the front area, so as to be better seen by the bar and the rest of the restaurant.
"It was too hidden before," she said. "We thought this was a perfect way to better display the mural."
All of the restaurant's original booths have been renovated and resized, she said. The bathrooms, too.
Even the flooring – left over from the building’s Burger King days before Trinity opened in 1994 – had to be restored.
Winpenny noted that the basement area of Trinity Brewhouse, which is the only part of the bar that has yet to fully reopen, will be reimagined in the style of a speakeasy – complete with a separate side entrance – in the near future.
(Matthew McNulty is a PBN staff writer. He can be reached at McNulty@PBN.com or on X at @MattMcNultyNYC.)
