Chapel Grille to Become Circe Prime

Courtesy of Chapel Grille / Carpionato Group

It’s true: The Carpionato Group’s multi Best-of-Rhode-Island-award winning Chapel Grille restaurant will be bidding adieu to its iconic stone-and-stain-glassed-window home in Cranston after nearly twenty years in business at the end of this month. In its stead, the new owners, Carlo Carlozzi and Kyle Poland, plan to reimagine the venue as an Italian steakhouse and banquet facility called Circe Prime. This will be the third restaurant to join the Circe Group lineup, with the first two establishments located in downtown Providence and East Greenwich.

“All things must eventually give way to change, and with that change comes new opportunity. Now, it is time to honor the past while reimagining this beautifully restored historic building for the future,” says Sheryl Carpionato, trustee of the Carpionato Group. “In selecting Circe, we were focused on making sure the next operator was well established and successful in the Rhode Island market and would appreciate and align their vision to the beauty of this space. We believe Carlo and Kyle are the perfect stewards for this gem in our portfolio and will create a new legacy that remains true to my late husband’s vision.”

But for those who wish to give Chapel Grille a proper farewell, you can still book a reservation during the restaurant’s normal hours through January (and private events booked through February and March will also take place as planned). The 14,000-square-foot venue — which was originally built as Rhode Island Training School for Boys in the 1880’s — will then close for approximately six weeks to make a few cosmetic enhancements to adapt to the Circe aesthetic. A grand opening for Circe Prime is slated for sometime in April.

“We are thankful for the opportunity the Carpionato Group has given us and for their belief in our brand,” says Poland.

“We are excited to blend our style of hospitality with the amazing venue the Carpionato Group has created,” Carlozzi adds. “Our goal is to provide a memorable dining experience where our guests can not only enjoy high-level cuisine but enjoy a fun an exciting atmosphere as well.”

And despite the changes, all Chapel Grille gift cards will be honored through 2025 and all current Chapel Grille employees will have the opportunity to stay on at the venue if they wish.

“We are thrilled to bring Circe’s well-known and established restaurant brand to Chapel View which we believe will add to the energy Carpionato is building around this signature property,” says the Carpionato Group’s president and CEO, K. MacArthur Coates. “We have several other exciting new restaurants on the horizon here and Circe’s Prime Italian steakhouse will be an amazing addition that will draw patrons from across Rhode Island.”

To learn more, visit chapelgrilleri.com and circerestaurantandbar.com.

And if you won’t have a chance to visit Chapel Grille before the turnover, feel free to visit it virtually with this video tour our editor-in-chief created back in 2012: