Heritage Group expands with new Rhode Island restaurant acquisitions

The Heritage Restaurant Group has announced the acquisition of the Crisp Restaurant Group, adding three well-known Rhode Island dining establishments to its growing collection.

The purchase includes Providence Coal Fired Pizza, which operates locations in Providence and North Kingstown, as well as Union Station Brewery in downtown Providence.

According to a press release, all existing staff will remain employed under the new ownership. Dave Bertolini, operating partner of Crisp Restaurant Group, will join the Heritage Restaurant Group platform to help maintain consistency and guide future growth for the restaurants.

The acquisition further strengthens Heritage Group’s footprint in the state’s dining scene. Over the past decade, the group has rapidly expanded his Rhode Island footprint, acquiring dozens of recognizable names in dining, hospitality, and tourism. Their holdings now include La Forge, Brick Alley Pub, The Red Parrot, Flo’s Clam Shacks, The Reef, Amano Pizza, Newport Craft Beer, La Costa Lobster and Tacos, Wally’s Wieners, Olneyville New York System, and the former Old Canteen on Federal Hill, which was turned into a Wally’s Wieners.

The restaurant empire led by New York businessman Nick Schorsch continues to grow, with the Heritage Restaurant Group adding several more well-known Rhode Island establishments to its portfolio.

The latest acquisitions come just one day after Heritage Restaurant Group announced its purchase of Scales & Shells in Newport — a move that sent ripples through the state’s tight-knit restaurant community.

The acquisitions also extend beyond restaurants, with the Audrain brand encompassing the Audrain Automobile Museum, Audrain Motorsport, Audrain Hospitality, Audrain Park Place, and Newport Life Magazine.

While some residents see the expansion as a sign of economic vitality, others worry it signals growing consolidation within Rhode Island’s restaurant scene, and the loss of local ownership that once defined many of these iconic eateries.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.