Rhode Island
Is RI’s hospitality industry in trouble? These trends are raising concerns

Take a peek inside the RI Hospitality Association’s Economic Outlook Breakfast
Industry leaders discussed consumer economic anxiety and workforce concerns at the annual event, which was held Wednesday.
PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island’s hospitality industry continues to recover from the shutdowns it faced in 2020, although the pace has slowed considerably as new economic factors put pressure on the state’s employees and consumers.
The Rhode Island Hospitality Association hosted a Economic Outlook breakfast Wednesday, detailing to its membership the current statistics on the food service, lodging and recreation industry locally and nationally. Representatives from the National Restaurant Association and Pinnacle Advisory Group, a hotel asset management firm, gave in-depth reports on the hospitality industry’s post-pandemic recovery and predictions for the industry’s near future.
Employee retention and recruitment remain a top concern
The major theme of the morning was the impact current economic pressures are having on the hospitality industry, especially its workforce. In his presentation on the current state of the restaurant industry, National Restaurant Association Vice President of Research and Knowledge Chad Moutray said that while some sectors have regained the number of employees lost during the pandemic, others have been slower to recover, especially the full-service restaurant industry. Additionally, the number of job openings in the restaurant industry remains greater than the number of unemployed workers able to fill those positions, as it has been since 2021
RI Hospitality Association Chief Operating Officer Heather Singleton, whose presentation specifically highlighted workforce issues faced by the industry, explored these problems in more depth using numbers from a report on Rhode Island Employment Trends and Workforce Issues in 2022-2023, which was published this April. Through this, Singleton noted that while the minimum wage and median wage in Rhode Island are both higher than it is nationally, the accommodation and food services sector had one of the lowest average annual wages of any sector in the state, which Singleton attributed largely to the fact that the sector employs more people under the age of 25 than any other sector. However, the report also showed that the industry is aging, as 15.9% of the sector was identified as being 55 years old or older in 2023 compared to 7% in 2003. In fact, 66% of those employed in accommodation and food service jobs were 25 years old or older in 2023, compared to 57% in 2003.
Singleton also pointed to the lack of employee well-being and engagement as an issue, both for the hospitality industry but also for the nation as a whole. Singleton showcased a recent Gallup report on the State of the Global Workplace, which claimed that 77% of employees globally are either not engaged or actively disengaged with their work, costing the global economy about $8.9 trillion. To combat this, Singleton pointed to training programs the association provides to boost engagement, which the Gallup report suggests could reduce absenteeism and turnover while increasing employee well-being and productivity.
Restaurants and hotels notice increased customer price sensitivity
Both reports coming out of the restaurant and hotel industry that morning indicated a growing split in consumer habits as consumer anxiety over the state of the economy increases. Kate Mashburn of Pinnacle Advisory Group revealed that, on a national level, luxury and upscale hotels and accommodations have experienced continued growth while budget and middle-cost travel is decreasing as consumers are becoming more price-conscious compared to just after the pandemic. Additionally, a survey the National Restaurant Association conducted among restaurant operators indicated increasing concerns about the economy as well as increasingly pessimistic outlooks on general business conditions.
Statewide, the hotel industry is steady, with year-to-date occupancy rates hitting just one percentage point under the national average of 63% for July 2024, with Warwick’s occupancy rate projected to reach up to 69% by the end of 2024. Mashburn attributes this partially to increased activity coming out of T.F. Green Airport.
Meanwhile, on Aquidneck Island, occupancy rates have decreased since 2023 owing to increases in supply, namely the opening of the Gardiner House in September 2023, the Wayfinder hotel’s phased reopening and Newport Harbor Island Resort’s reopening in April 2024.
Overall outlook still positive for 2030
Despite these concerns, the hospitality industry’s job market is continuing to see positive growth. Moutray’s presentation showed that, by July 2024, employment in restaurants finally surpassed what it had been before February 2020. Similarly, Singleton’s presentation showed that the accommodations and food service sector had the largest change in annual employment of any industry sector in the state between 2021 and 2022.
The report and Singleton’s presentation also projected the sector would increase employment by 35.3% between 2020 and 2030. Within the hospitality sector, employment in Food Preparation and Serving Related jobs is expected to increase the most of any other sector in the state, with cooking, serving, bartending and quick service counter positions among the top in employment increases.

Rhode Island
Providence man arrested in connection to narcotics and firearms investigation | ABC6

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Rhode Island State Police said a Providence man was arrested after police allegedly discovered multiple narcotics and a gun inside two residences on Sept. 23.
47-year-old Joel Garcia was charged with possession with the intent to deliver over 1 kilogram of fentanyl, possession with the intent to deliver over 1 kilogram of cocaine, possession with the intent to deliver one ounce to one kilogram of methamphetamine, possession with the intent to deliver fentanyl, possession with the intent to deliver cocaine, possession with the intent to deliver methamphetamine, possession of a firearm while committing a controlled substance violation, unlawful possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and distribution of a controlled substance in a school zone.
According to RISP, police received court-authorized search warrants for two residences in Providence in connection to a narcotics and firearms investigation.
Inside an apartment on Dresser Street, police allegedly seized 1.7 kilograms of fentanyl, 2.3 kilograms of cocaine, and 147 grams of methamphetamine.
Police also searched Garcia’s residence on Portland Street and allegedly seized one fully loaded pistol.
According to police, Garcia had allegedly used the apartment on Dresser Street to “store, package, and distribute large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine.”
Garcia was arrested and charged.
RISP, Providence police, Cranston police, North Providence police, Johnston police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Rhode Island National Guard Counterdrug Program assisted in the investigation.
Rhode Island
The Ocean State’s Bond With Robert Redford

Millions have been mourning the death of a cinematic icon over the last week with the passing of Robert Redford at age 89.
The award-winning actor is arguably one of the most famous of all time. With over 70 films to his credit on screen and nine he directed throughout his career, Redford’s work in cinema stands out as some of the greatest.
Though only two of Redford’s movies were ever filmed in Rhode Island, the Oscar-winning actor has a deep connection with the Ocean State.
Redford’s Family Roots Near Rhode Island
Though no Redfords actually lived in Rhode Island, Robert’s family was longtime residents of Stonington, CT and several members were born in nearby Westerly, RI.
READ MORE: ‘Sopranos’ Star Officially Becomes a Rhode Island Resident
Throughout Robert Redford’s childhood there were visits to his grandparents in Stonington, where his grandfather worked as a milkman.
Presumably this time in Stonington meant crossing the state line into Westerly on more than one occasion in his youth and perhaps led to his love of the Rhode Island seaside in later years.
Filming The Great Gatsby in Newport
During his career, Redford came to Newport in the 1970s to film The Great Gatsby at the historic Rosecliff Mansion. Decades later he returned to Rhode Island with the science fiction film The Discovery and even wrote a thank you letter to Newport, praising their preservation efforts in the city.
READ MORE: HGTV Says You Need to Drive This Road in Newport
Though when he did ultimately settle in New England, Redford chose Weston, CT as his home for almost two decades. He purchased a home not too far from his close friend and fellow actor, Paul Newman.
Evan Agostini/Getty Images
Rhode Island Honors Robert Redford
Rhode Island never forgot its ties to the beloved actor however. In 2002 Redford was asked to be the commencement speaker at Brown University and that same year Trinity Repertory Company awarded him a Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts.
Just one of the many lifetime achievement awards Robert Redford would go on to accumulate during his illustrious career.
20 Stars Who Hail From Rhode Island
Rhode Island may be the smallest state in the nation, but it has been home to many celebrities. Though some have moved here, filmed here or attended school here, only a handful were actually born here. These are those celebrities.
Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall
Academy Award and Golden Globe Winners from Massachusetts
These Massachusetts natives have taken home some of Hollywood’s top honors.
Gallery Credit: Michaela Johnson
30 Things To Do in Newport Any Time of Year
Newport has always been seen as a summer destination. Wealthy New Yorkers used to escape the city in the hotter months for this picturesque seaside spot and the label as a summer vacation destination began.
There are, however, plenty of things to do in this historic town in any season and we’ve found a few that you may want to try the next time you head to Newport.
Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall
Rhode Island
GoLocalProv | Sports | VIDEO: Providence’s Lassiter Scores 44-Yard TD in Vanderbilt’s Upset Over #11 South Carolina

Sunday, September 14, 2025
Zell Lassiter
PHOTO: Via Vanderbilt
Providence’s Jamezell Lassiter had a big play on a huge stage on Saturday when Vanderbilt football upset #11 South Carolina. SEE 7:25 MARK.
Lassiter, who played for the Edgewood Eagles and the Mount Hope Cowboys and attended the San Miguel School in Providence, smoked the Gamecocks on a 44-yard touchdown score.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE — SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST
Vanderbilt won 31-7 over No. 11 South Carolina, snapping a 16-game losing streak between the two programs.
Zell Lassiter PHOTO: Vanderbilt Athletics
In 2024, GoLocal sports columnist Robert McMahon wrote about Lassiter’s journey to the top Division I program:
His athletic skills impressed his San Miguel classmates. Flag football, soccer, basketball—Jamezell could do it all. He was a natural athlete.
But the transformation of Zell, as he likes to be called, happened in the San Miguel classroom.
READ MORE HERE
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