Track 15 Food Hall Set to Open in February with 7 Food Vendors

Renderings courtesy of VISION 3 ARCHITECTS & NEOSCAPE.

It may have confronted many delays due to the pandemic, supply chain issues and unplanned structural deficiencies, but Providence’s Track 15 food hall is “chugging along” with plans to open in February. We met up with developer Chris Marsella, President of the Marsella Development Corporation, Matthias Kiehm, principal of Convivium Hospitality Group, and Michael Anthony, who has a background in hospitality ventures and beverage development in major Las Vegas restaurants, to get an update on the project. The $25 million investment was initially announced back in 2021 but is now on the fast track (please excuse the pun)! This week they announced all seven partners for the food hall.

The name is a nod to the building’s origins as a transportation hub. Built in 1898, the station greatly supported Rhode Island’s machinery, textile and jewelry industries with the operation of fourteen intercity rail lines before closing in 1986 when the smaller Amtrak station was built nearby.

Taking over the space that once housed the original Capital Grille, Raphael’s and Bar Louie, the 18,000-square-foot development has now secured seven tenants, including the newest, an Indian concept called Little Chaska from Sanjiv and Vandana Dhar of Kabob and Curry, Rasoi in Pawtucket, Rasa in East Greenwich, and Chaska in Cranston’s Garden City Center, as well as Tolia, which highlights a Turkish menu from chef Alp Gumuscu, who is formerly the executive chef at Yagi Noodles in Newport. Gumuscu will focus on introducing diners to the cuisine of the region of Anatolia, which surrounds Turkey, Greece and other parts of the Middle East. These two latest additions join the five other concepts that have already committed, including a seafood and raw bar concept from Dune Brothers; regional Mexican cuisine from chef Maria Meza and her family at Dolores; burgers and more from There, There; and two Italian concepts from Kevin O’Donnell, chef and owner of Giusto and Mother Pizzeria in Newport.

“We are excited to welcome the Dhars and Alp Gumuscu to the Track 15 family,” says Marsella. “They are the final pieces to this culinary puzzle we’ve been putting together, and we look forward to showcasing their exceptional talent.”

It’s been a long time coming but we’re getting closer to final destination. The development will involve indoor and outdoor seating for approximately 600 patrons, an entertainment venue, and a 10,000 square foot plaza which will provide outdoor seating and a home for special events. They plan to include “flipboard”-style menus for each business, similar to those that announce train track arrivals and departures in transportation hubs. Menus will change with the seasons. Marsella is already starting to get in some of the final menus for the businesses, which is reigniting his passion for this project.

An inspirational quote on the beams of the Track 15 construction site, taken back in August. Photo by Jamie Coelho.

A photo from the construction site, taken in early August.

“Building this food hall has been a labor of love for all of us,” continues Marsella. “Despite the challenges of renovating a historic building, our team is making progress every day, and we can’t wait to open our doors to a truly unique experience that is unlike anything in Rhode Island.”

The vendors all know each other and support one another, and there’s some friendly competition too. Kevin O’Donnell, owner of Giusto and Mother Pizzeria, says he is excited to “bring a little taste of Newport to the Providence community.”

“At Giusto PVD, Brian and I will be serving up some of our favorite homemade pastas highlighting great ingredients from Rhode Island farmers while Lauren, Kyle and I look forward to sharing our love for sourdough pizzas made with local stone-ground flour at Mother Pizzeria PVD,” O’Donnell continues.

Renderings courtesy of VISION 3 ARCHITECTS & NEOSCAPE

The owners of downtown favorite Dune Brothers are equally as thrilled to add to their expanding locations, including the Providence Innovation District shack, the new Looff Carousel location in Riverside, and the upcoming market and restaurant on Ives Street in Providence.

“We’re elated to bring our pier-to-plate restaurant to Track 15 and to continue to showcase delicious seafood from local fishermen and women,” says Nick Gillespie, chef/owner and Monica Gillespie, co-owner. “In addition to Dune Brothers classics like the lobster roll, fish sandwich and fish and chips, the space enables us to introduce some new items as well as a raw bar. We are excited for Rhode Island to finally have its own food hall and very proud to be a part of this project!”

When it came to determining the lineup, Marsella maintains that Matthias Kiehm, principal of Convivium Hospitality Group, was a pivotal force as he wanted to ensure that the hall was reflective of Rhode Island’s diverse culinary scene.

Renderings courtesy of VISION 3 ARCHITECTS & NEOSCAPE

“When we started this journey, we probably ate ourselves through roughly 150-plus restaurants in Rhode Island,” Kiehm explains. “First, we identified which cuisine we wanted to look at and did all the research. We went to five fish places, five Mexican places, and so on, and then identified our top picks for each and started curating it. We ate a lot!”

One of those tastings was with There, There, which started out as Dips Dips mobile eatery, but pivoted to open a sandwich shop on Providence’s West End in the former Bucktown space at 471 West Fountain St. Chef/owner Brandon Teachout says the Track 15 partners did the initial tasting from their food truck at Moniker Brewery.

“The food hall is an exciting project, and we came down here and checked out the space, talked about the vision and the history of the location,” Teachout recalls. “We were like, ‘Yeah, we definitely want to be a part of this.’ I think a lot of people agree that Providence wants a food hall like this, and the caliber of people that they have involved…. We are honored to be asked, honestly.”

Teachout says the menu will include an abbreviated version of the one currently being served at his West End location, with a fast casual approach. He also already knows where they will be set up within the hall.

“We’re in a the corner spot, next to Dolores, and [across the way] here [the food hall is] going to expand another fifteen feet to be a little lounge area,” he says. “And we’ll be near the stage — so, the party spot!”

Renderings courtesy of VISION 3 ARCHITECTS & NEOSCAPE

In addition to the announced merchants, Marsella teases that the space will also have a full bar featuring local spirits and beer and servicing both indoor and outdoor patrons.

“And we’ll have food carts with gelato and other things,” he says. “As the space develops both inside and out, we’ll see what other additional offerings we can add that don’t require a full kitchen, whether it be coffee or even retail.”

With the demolition of the interior of the building officially completed and plumbing installed, Track 15 is on track (sorry again) to open in February 2025. Be sure to check this space for more updates.