Groundbreaking Ceremony: Hope & Main West End Kitchens
A new launchpad for inclusive food entrepreneurship in Rhode Island
WHAT:
Hope & Main, Rhode Island’s pioneering food business incubator, will host a groundbreaking ceremony for its second location—West End Kitchens—a high-volume shared-use culinary facility in Providence’s West End.
This new site will expand Hope & Main’s mission to empower diverse food entrepreneurs and fuel a more vibrant, equitable local food economy.
WHEN:
Monday, November 17, 2025
11:00 AM
WHERE:
945 Westminster Street
Providence, RI 02903
(Future home of Hope & Main West End Kitchens)
WHO:
Speakers will include:
Lisa Raiola,MPH, Founder & President, Hope & Main
Senator Jack Reed, Congressman Seth Magaziner, Congressman Gabe Amo, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley, RI General Treasurer James Diossa, RI Commerce Corp. President, Jim Bennett, RI Housing Deputy Executive Director, James Comer
Local food entrepreneurs and community leaders
WHY:
For over a decade, Hope & Main has helped launch more than 500 food businesses, 60% women-owned and 45% founded by entrepreneurs of color. With surging demand for affordable, accessible kitchen space—especially in Greater Providence—West End Kitchens will open in 2026, launching 50 new businesses in its first year and driving economic mobility, job creation, and local food innovation across Rhode Island.
LISA J. RAIOLA, MPH
President & Founder