Chef Bryan Fatini’s Ocean State Foods now delivers their gourmet, locally sourced meals. The business, which launched in November after some trial and error, designs their menu “to utilize what we have in the moment,” says Fatini, noting, “with local ingredients, you are limited by seasonal availability, among a myriad of other variables affecting supply.” With his mission to keep Ocean State Foods’ prices low, Fatini is handling the added delivery option in-house. It creates more work for the enterprising owner, like designing a new website to handle a virtual store, but it’s enabled him to simplify order and fulfillment, passing those savings on to the consumer.
Each handcrafted dish arrives frozen – a subscription option featuring fresh meals is in the works – which you simply defrost and pop in the oven. “When you buy our meals, you’re supporting every single other local small business we pay to bring you the meal,” says Fatini. Warren
East Providence-based Thrive Tribe Collaborative, known for their alternative healing practices like Reiki, amps up their wellness mission with the opening of the Thrive Tribe Cafe in Barrington. “We wanted to create a healing atmosphere with nourishing food,” says co-owner Jax Smith. The plant-based eatery features a selection of gluten-free crepes, both savory and sweet, as well as items like the Green Dragon, which is smashed avocado, fresh tomato, and vegan mozzarella, drizzled with a sriracha lime sauce. For the gluten sensitive, they offer a selection of savory arepas (cornmeal cakes).
The cafe also serves as a small boutique, where you can find healing items like crystals, smudge sticks, incense, and jewelry from local artisans. Taking an eco-friendly approach, they source out items that leave a minimal carbon footprint. “We are all about the love,” says Smith, “and how to show it to the land and to people.”Barrington
Riverside coffee shop Borealis is primed for expansion. By 2016, after Borealis was open a year, owner Brian Dwiggins had visions of growing the business, but finding the right spot was a challenge. “We are an East Bay coffee shop and we wanted to keep it in the East Bay instead of going into a crowded Providence,” Dwiggins notes.
At the beginning of last summer, they found the perfect spot at the old US Rubber Company in Bristol, joining other small businesses like Brick Pizza Co. and Pivotal Brewing Company. With a liquor license, Borealis’ Bristol outpost offers extended hours to create “a community space where people can come and do fun stuff,” like open-mic and game nights. Besides beer, wine, and coffee-focused cocktails, Dwiggins plans to build on their limited menu. Look for items like breakfast sandwiches and soups as well as grab-and-go items like salads and muffins. Bristol
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