Plant City Set to Open Location on West Main Road in Middletown
Maine native Matthew Kenney blazed trails for high-end vegan cuisine. Now he’s bringing plant-based to Middletown.
Republished from Providence Journal.
Welcome to Middletown, Plant City.
A “scaled-down” version of the vegan food hall in Providence is slated to move into the space at 619 West Main Road, which most recently was the Papa Gino’s pizzeria that closed in November 2018.
Plant City needed approval from the town’s Zoning Board of Review to add a drive-through window on the property, a request that was approved 5-0 during the panel’s meeting on Sept. 22.
Co-founder Kim Anderson, who opened the Providence location with chef Matthew Kenney in June 2019, said it is an “incredibly successful business” with135 employees.
The area of West Main Road is ideal for what she hopes is a “template” for more locations. “This is an amazing location and it’s an honor to be before you because I think it’s one of the finest locations in the state,” Anderson told the board.
Anderson said she’s heard from a number of customers who live in Newport County excited about the idea of a nearby location.
As more people opt for takeout or curbside pickup during the COVID-19 pandemic, a drive-through window will “offer a way to get our product to them from out of doors,” Anderson said.
She said the Plant City in Middletown will be “a much more scaled down version” than the food hall located at 334 South Water St. in Providence.
The hours of operation in Middletown are expected to be 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., and the menu offerings will closely resemble that of the flagship location — burgers, sandwiches, mac and cheese, salads and bowls.
Anderson said there would be a significant upgrade in the landscaping on the property. “We’re Plant City, we need plants,” she said.
