The Opening of Plant City X in Middletown and The Hope it Delivers
Plant City X in Middletown. Scott Barrett/Daily News Photo
Republished from The Newport Daily News
By Dan Lederer
It’s a Sunday afternoon and I’m cruising about town trying to get all my weekend errands wrapped up before the football games begin at 3. I’m heading up West Main Road just past the East Main Road intersection and suddenly I see the traffic ahead slowing. My eyes roll. I let out a frustrated, “What now!” As I move closer, I see that whatever is happening is in the right lane. Is it an accident? A broken down vehicle? Are they storming the town library? No, it’s a line. It’s a line of cars backing up traffic waiting to get into a parking lot. I maneuver into the left lane and make my way past, glancing over. All of the cars are waiting in line for the drive-thru at Plant City X.
Plant City X is a fast food location complete with a drive-thru from the folks at Plant City of Providence. The restaurant just opened in the former Papa Gino’s space on West Main (although as a compliment to the designer, you’d never realize it). Their menu is all plant-based and is all locally sourced and sustainable. Burgers, chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, fries, shakes and smoothies - everything you would order from your typical fast food spot, but completely plant-based. It’s a pretty revolutionary concept and a very exciting addition to the food scene here on the Island.
I haven’t eaten there yet so this column is definitely not a review of Plant City X. In fact, they did not officially open until Monday (when, I heard, the line was even longer). This column is not about traffic issues caused by restaurants either (though I’m looking hard at you on that one, Dunkin’). It’s about hope. Yep, when I slow-rolled past the line of traffic looking at all the people waiting to get into this new restaurant, it gave me hope.
As with everything over the last year, we have to temper our hopefulness with caution. We know things are changing rapidly. We want to be glass-half-full people, but we also know that we need to keep two hands on the glass so it doesn’t spill or shatter. And it’s hard to admit that you feel hope when you still see COVID rates rising, 400,000 deaths nationally and vaccination plans stalled as the country continues to reckon with the aftermath of an attack on the Capitol. Still, we need to keep room for hope in our heart. It’s what we do in Rhode Island. It’s even our state motto.
Seeing Plant City X open to such enthusiasm is not just cause for hope because it means another great restaurant in town. It’s more than that. First, if successful, it could bring about a revitalization of that area of town. That strip of West Main will now have Plant City right alongside local favorites Tito’s and the Blue Plate Diner. That’s the making of a budding food destination area. This could lead to the development of the old and ever-vacant Ruby Tuesday’s/East Side Mario’s site into something worthwhile. Great restaurants lead to more great restaurants. Progress: it’s what for dinner.
But the potential success of Plant City X also brings the hope of more good things to come. Things are happening here on the Island that will keep us well-fed and happy. The restaurant industry is no longer buckled in for safety. The ride was bumpy. It’s still bumpy. But restauranteurs have had to look to the future. They are testing the waters of new ventures. They are wading into a sea of opportunity. The Islanders are biting. Plant City X has opened. Malt on Broadway has rolled out their igloos for outdoor dining. Salvation Cafe is creating crazy-good party bundles. La Vecina Taqueria has popped up at Bar’ Cino. There’s a new cigar lounge (Breakwaters) on Aquidneck Avenue. Newport Dine Out, a locally owned online food delivery service, has launched. Newport Restaurant Group is opening a new specialty food market - Foodlove Market. Jamo’s Bagels are delivering fresh-made bagels right to your door every weekend. The Traveling Oak Bar is debuting it’s converted vintage three-wheeled Piaggio Ape Italian truck as a wedding bar this spring. Good things are slowly and surely happening.
