Buttonwoods Brewery owner Morgan Snyder and Screaming Unicorn owner Stephanie Rapoza in the new brewery location on Sims Avenue. (Photos by Lauren Clem)

When Revival Brewing Company and Lost Valley Pizza shut down suddenly last December, many feared the departure would leave a hole on Sims Avenue, a once-neglected corner of Providence that’s become a bustling food and drink hub in recent years. The former textile mill is located across the street from the Industrious Spirit Company and next door to Farm Fresh Rhode Island, home to Providence Brewing Company and New Harvest Coffee Roasters, among others.

With a busy year on the craft beer scene, though, the space didn’t remain vacant for long. This past weekend, Buttonwoods Brewery held their grand opening in the new taproom. The brewery relocated from Cranston, where owner and head brewer Morgan Snyder founded it in 2017.

Longtime fans will recognize familiar touches in the new space, including the mismatched furniture and vintage arcade games that gave the brewery its casual basement vibes. But the new taproom offers a significant space upgrade — nearly double the square footage of the old one — plus a dedicated production area. What’s more, Screaming Unicorn — the pop-up that’s been serving food at the Cranston location for a little over a year — has a permanent location inside the new taproom, which means more food offerings for hungry guests.

“I’m really excited to be here because it offers us a lot of opportunities,” Snyder says.

The move came about because of a series of challenges at the Cranston location. For a couple of years now, Buttonwoods has been looking to expand the brewing side of the business to allow for more distribution. After learning they would need to install an expensive wastewater pre-treatment plant at the larger brewhouse, Snyder says, they began looking into other site options. The timing fell into place for the Sims Avenue location, and they began renovating the space at the tail end of last year. (The former Cranston location has been sold to a landlord who plans to turn it into self-storage, according to Snyder.)

The new brewery features a ten-barrel brewing system. In addition to their own beers, Snyder says they hope to host guest taps from out-of-state breweries including Schilling Beer Co., Fox Farm Brewery, Widowmaker Brewing and Vitamin C Brewing, in addition to Providence-based Long Live Beerworks. They also plan to obtain a brewpub license to offer wine and cider.

“What we did in a week we can now do in two days,” Snyder says.

On the food side, chef and owner Stephanie Rapoza founded Screaming Unicorn last year after five years working for the Newport Restaurant Group. The business offers elevated pub food made with from-scratch ingredients, including gourmet fries, mac-and-cheese, sandwiches and shareable plates. The summer seasonal menu offers treats like the sweet tater and chickpea burger and Rapoza’s signature Unicorn Fries, topped with special seasoning, pickled red onion, honey-sriracha aioli and scallions.

“[It’s] just snacky stuff that you want to have with your beer,” she says.

Rapoza’s also looking forward to making use of the site’s wood-fired pizza oven, a big part of the former Lost Valley business that’s located in the building’s original chimney. The current menu includes pizza varieties like bacon potato and Shroomami, as well as oven-baked Calabrian Chili Wings.

“As far as pairings, the pilsner and that chicken sandwich is going to be chef’s kiss,” Snyder says.

Snyder expects an uptick in visitors to the brewery, as their Cranston regulars find the new location and visitors to Farm Fresh’s popular farmers markets discover them for the first time. The venue will also host events, including PVD Horror showings and a recent drag show. Snyder says they’re working with the landlord on setting up on an outdoor space.

While leaving the old brewery after seven-and-a-half years was bittersweet, he says, he’s looking forward to the opportunities in the new space.

“We expect a lot more foot traffic and a lot more people,” he says.

Buttonwoods Brewery and Screaming Unicorn are open Wednesday through Monday. Visit buttonwoodsbrewery.com for times and a current draft list. The menu for Screaming Unicorn can be found here.

The pizza oven is built into the building’s original chimney.

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