These Providence restaurateurs took a chance opening a beer hall. Now it's for sale.

Gail Ciampa, Providence Journal
Updated ·2 min read

It was 2017 when Rhode Island newcomers and first-time restaurant owners Natalie and Tom Dennen challenged themselves to go where no other restaurateur dared to tread. They opened a modern beer hall with communal tables, a menu of New England craft beers and dishes inspired by local ingredients. They took a chance locating their Bayberry Beer Hall among the then-newly burgeoning food scene in the West Fountain Street neighborhood in Providence.

With success there, they challenged themselves again, post-pandemic, opening a new concept in Providence's brand new Innovation district. Their Bayberry Garden restaurant became a hit, too.

It was 2021 when Natalie and Ton Dennen opened their second restaurant, Bayberry Garden, at 225 Dyer in the Innovation District near the Michael S. Van Leesten Memorial Bridge, the pedestrian span over the Providence River.
It was 2021 when Natalie and Ton Dennen opened their second restaurant, Bayberry Garden, at 225 Dyer in the Innovation District near the Michael S. Van Leesten Memorial Bridge, the pedestrian span over the Providence River.

Sunday night, the couple took to Instagram to announce their beer hall is for sale. They will continue to run it until they find a buyer.

"Call it mental fatigue from the last few years or whatever – but what we keep coming back to is in order for the business to evolve and grow we need to step aside and seek out new ownership for the Beer Hall," they wrote.

"The world isn’t the same now and neither are we.

"We know the Beer Hall and our team have so much more potential and opportunity to grow – in fact, we even started to go down a path to expand our current Beer Hall operations a few months ago. However, the further along we got in that process the more we realized our hearts just weren’t in it."

Bayberry Beer Hall is for sale by owners Natalie and Tom Dennen. They opened the restaurant at 381 West Fountain St. in Providence in 2017.
Bayberry Beer Hall is for sale by owners Natalie and Tom Dennen. They opened the restaurant at 381 West Fountain St. in Providence in 2017.

The Dennens' post expressed gratitude to their team and the community and pride for building something unique.

"We don’t doubt wonderful things are ahead in our little corner of the West End – so now we’re looking for the right person(s) to make that happen."

The Dennens were new to the hospitality business in 2017. He worked at Fidelity and she at Comcast. He left his day job to open Bayberry. She later left hers.

Natalie and Tom Dennen back in 2017, when they opened their Bayberry Beer Hall at 381 West Fountain St. in Providence.
Natalie and Tom Dennen back in 2017, when they opened their Bayberry Beer Hall at 381 West Fountain St. in Providence.

Bayberry Beer Hall is not the only high-profile restaurant up for sale. In fact, it's now one of three on the market in Providence.

Back in September, the bakery and coffee shop owned by Lori and Paul Kettelle announced on social media their "PVDonuts Is ... For Sale." The couple said they would continue to run the Providence business as they had since 2016 until a new buyer was found. They too, had recently opened a second concept in Providence, Oak Bake Shop, in 2022.

In June 2022, Joe Marzilli's Old Canteen also went up for sale. That Federal Hill landmark opened in 1956 and has been an iconic destination for generations of diners. It has been operated by the son of Joe, Sal Marzilli, for more than two decades and has continued operating under the chef.

Change, it seems, is the only constant with restaurants these days.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Bayberry Beer Hall in Providence for sale