Red Stripe in happier times.

By Elizabeth F. McNamara

On Wednesday, workers could be seen removing the large spoon and the familiar Red Stripe sign that have adorned 455 Main Street since the brasserie opened there in late 2014. Inside, mirrors and some furniture were removed and the bar was cleaned out. It didn’t look good.

Friday morning, suspicions were confirmed: the owners of Red Stripe East Greenwich were not renewing their lease.

“Due to current conditions, Encore Hospitality Group has decided not to renew its lease for its Red Stripe restaurant at 455 Main Street in East Greenwich and is permanently closed. We want to thank our dedicated and talented staff and the community of East Greenwich for their support over the last five years. We will continue to operate Red Stripe in Providence and sister restaurant Mill’s Tavern when conditions allow, and wish all our guests, team members, and friends good health as we navigate these challenging times.”  

 – Paul Conforti, Managing Partner at Encore Hospitality Group

Red Stripe opened to great excitement in December 2014. It was seen as bringing some Providence panache to the suburbs and it did very well. More recently, its popularity waned a bit. While it was still a go-to spot for many, tables were no longer so hard to come by. In response to Gov. Gina Raimondo’s decision to close dine-in restaurants last week (in an effort to halt the spread of COVID-19), many EG restaurants opened up takeout and delivery service. Red Stripe did not. They will be missed.

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