Plant City’s Providence location is set to close this Sunday after six years in business. The vegan food hall announced its closure on Jan. 26, citing a reduction in customers over the past two years. Plant City’s other locations in Barrington and Warwick will remain open.
Plant City Providence is the world’s first fully vegan food hall and marketplace. The property houses a coffee bar and vegan grab-and-go marketplace, as well as two restaurants: Plant City, a restaurant serving pizza, sandwiches and bowls, and SĒZN, an upscale restaurant featuring a seasonal menu.
“The (Washington) Bridge failure had (an) immediate and lasting effect on sales,” wrote Kim Anderson, founder and owner of Plant City, in a message to The Herald.
“Due to rush hour backups of cars trying to get onto the bridge via South Water Street, we lost our first seating of diners,” Anderson wrote. She explained that guests did not want to visit this area of Providence due to “significant traffic delays.”
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation did not respond to a request for comment about how the bridge closure could have impacted business for Plant City.
Reflecting on the legacy of the food hall, Anderson wrote that “our staff and our customers, many of whom have become friends over the years, have made this a special place.”
“We are proud of the roles we have played in the community including as a gathering place, an educational space and as a venue for wonderful vegan recipes,” she added.
“I am incredibly sad about Plant City Providence closing,” Erica Korff — a Providence resident and vegan content creator — wrote in a message to the Herald. “They have been a go-to for both locals and people visiting from across New England for an amazing variety of vegan cuisines.”
When Plant City Providence first opened in 2019, “it was such big news across New England because we had never seen a large vegan-specific space,” Korff wrote. “It showed the community and surrounding businesses that you can thrive off a delicious plant-based diet and have the appealing space to bring people together.”
Julia Krausz ’26, the current senior advisor and former president of Brown’s Alternative Protein Project, wrote in a message to The Herald that “Plant City closing is a significant loss” for the vegan food landscape in Providence. Krausz, who has been vegan for ten years, wrote that she “will miss (Plant City) very dearly.”
“Plant City was not a place just for vegans but it was the place to bring your non-vegan friends and impress them with the amazing Buffalo Cauliflower Wings,” and other vegan versions of classic dishes, Krausz wrote.
Krausz visits Plant City at least once a week, and has hosted many birthday and end-of-semester dinners there. She recalled that at Plant Jam, an event hosted by Alt. Protein Project in 2023, “Plant City brought a huge tent and donated a lot of food.”
Xavier Cortes, a junior at the Rhode Island School of Design, said he visits Plant City Providence at least once a month.
“There’s often a lot of people in the afternoon, so it’s a nice spot to hang out,” Cortes said, adding that it was “surprising” to see Plant City closing.
“I will miss having access to a place like (Plant City) that’s so nearby to our school,” Cortes said. “It’s not a proper sit-down restaurant, and it’s not a coffee shop — it’s in between.”
“It’s going to feel like a big loss for quite some time,” Korff wrote.
Alba Lara Granero PhD ’25, who teaches at Rhode Island College, said that she usually visits Plant City Providence three to four times a week, orders a matcha latte and stays to work in the cafe. “I need to change my routines now,” she added.
“I'm vegetarian myself, so I'm committed to that, and I wanted to sustain a business that shares my beliefs,” she said. Lara Granero added that she has dined at SĒZN and their food was “absolutely fantastic.”
“I think it's expensive, but not the most expensive place in Providence, so compared to other coffee shops, it actually felt cheap,” Lara said.
“We only had one modest price increase in almost seven years,” Anderson wrote, although she notes that “ingredient costs have risen.”
With Plant City’s upcoming closure, Lara said she is “not very optimistic right now” about vegetarian food in Providence. “There are not many options.”
“I still have a positive outlook on the vegan scene here,” Korff wrote. “I do see an opportunity to show up even more for other local vegan spots,” she added.
Korff also encouraged Plant City Providence fans to visit the food hall’s Barrington location. “It’s not too far from Providence and is beautiful in its own way,” she wrote, adding that this location has many classic Plant City menu items.
The Barrington location will “host our new SĒZN menu from the Providence location, in addition to its current menu,” Anderson wrote.
“Our chef, Luis Jaramillo has introduced thousands of people to amazing dishes and will continue to do so in our other locations,” Anderson wrote. “We hope people will make the trip to visit us.”
Pavani Durbhakula is a senior staff writer and photographer. She is a first-year from DC and plans to study IAPA and Public Health. In her free time, she enjoys baking, reading, and searching for new coffee shops.
