PROVIDENCE — Trinity Brewhouse, the highly visible brewpub and mainstay in downtown Providence, will be sold to a group of local owners who have operated restaurants in Providence and East Greenwich.
Former senator Josh Miller, a longtime restauranteur, put the brewpub on the market earlier this year for $2.25 million.
The team behind The Patio on Broadway, and their family partners, purchased the brewpub for an undisclosed sum. The new ownership team “is excited to carry on the legacy of the iconic downtown institution,” Miller and Angel Winpenny, the owner of The Patio on Broadway told the Globe in a joint statement.
“This year marks 50 years since I first obtained a liquor license in downtown Providence at age 21, with the purchase of the Met Café,” said Miller, who served in the Rhode Island Senate representing Cranston District 28 from 2007 until January of this year. “At that time, I was the youngest person to obtain a liquor license in the city.”
Trinity Brewhouse opened its doors in 1994, becoming one of the first two brewpubs in Rhode Island following the legalization of brewpubs in the state. The name was chosen in collaboration with the adjacent Trinity Repertory Company. It was a meaningful nod to the past, Miller said, as his parents both worked there in the 1960s.
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“I am extremely proud to have continued my journey in the restaurant and hospitality industry and for Trinity to have played a role in Rhode Island’s food, drink, and cultural scene over the past thirty years,” said Miller, who previously owned Local 121, a beloved and award-winning farm-to-table restaurant in downtown from 2007 until its closure in 2018. When Miller and his wife announced Local 121’s closure, he said he was not interested in signing a 10-year lease, which would have been required.
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“Pursuing another 10-year option would have us as restaurant owners and operators into our 70s,” said Miller at the time. “We are not interested in doing that through this stage of our lives.”
Winpenny said their team plans to update Trinity’s space and to grow the business.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Trinity Brewhouse into our growing family,” Winpenny said in a statement. “It’s a privilege to be part of such a well-loved Rhode Island establishment, and our team looks forward to honoring its history and preserving the welcoming spirit and neighborhood vibe of the Brewhouse.”
Winpenny, who opened The Patio on Main in East Greenwich before the pandemic and since closed it, said they plan to keep the Trinity name.
Through the end of July, Trinity will host a series of special events and fundraisers supporting local nonprofits before closing for scheduled renovations in August, according to a press release announcing the sale.
Trinity’s current team will “remain actively involved throughout the transition,” and Winpenny said they plan to retain many longtime staff members, “several of whom have been part of the Trinity family for decades.”
This story has been updated with comments from Josh Miller and Angel Winpenny.
Alexa Gagosz can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her @alexagagosz and on Instagram @AlexaGagosz.