Culinary Hub of Providence opens
CHOP is the place where good food, community, culture come together
![Shannon Carroll, President and CEO of the Genesis Center, at the newly opened Culinary Hub of Providence [CHOP] in Providence on Washington Street. "We are thrilled that the culinary hub of Providence is finally a reality," Carroll said. "We look forward to welcoming our guests to our unique training restaurant, a project that will prepare Rhode Islanders for a career in the culinary arts while also supporting our local economy with a diverse and skilled workforce.](/uploads/original/20240927-175430-be6-shannon take.jpg)
Shannon Carroll, President and CEO of the Genesis Center, at the newly opened Culinary Hub of Providence [CHOP] in Providence on Washington Street. "We are thrilled that the culinary hub of Providence is finally a reality," Carroll said. "We look forward to welcoming our guests to our unique training restaurant, a project that will prepare Rhode Islanders for a career in the culinary arts while also supporting our local economy with a diverse and skilled workforce.
PROVIDENCE – The story of food in the city of Providence and how it has helped to define its multicultural heritage is a tale that keeps being rewritten with each new wave of immigrants to Rhode Island.
Much of the attention these days has been focused on the entrepreneurial chefs and the development of a haute cuisine – chefs that have been trained at Johnson & Wales University, and entrepreneurs who have developed their unique products at Hope & Main to spur on start-up culinary businesses.
The missing ingredient from the economic equation has been a workforce development program for those who work in the kitchens, something that the Genesis Center has sought to add with its launch of the Culinary Hub of Providence, or CHOP, located on Washington Street on the first floor of the Providence Public Library.
CHOP is now open for business, serving an eclectic menu and providing a start-up mentality for its workforce. The enterprise is first and foremost, “a workforce development café,” featuring paid, on-the-job training, incumbent worker training, recruitment, and entrepreneurial support.” Translated, it is an “earn while you learn” model.
CHOP as a retail enterprise is under the supervision of chef Joshua Riaza. This week, CHOP at Night will be open on Oct. 2 and Oct. 3 from 5-8 p.m., offering locally sourced food with bold, global flavors. Its regular hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. The phone number is 401-429-2450.
