BURRILLVILLE – The woman in the process of purchasing Uncle Ronnie’s Red Tavern has secured a license to expand the business’s outdoor offerings, with plans to make use of a currently vacant field on the property.
Burrillville resident Aimee Kyne is expected to close on the sale for 2692 Victory Highway next week, according to those with knowledge of the deal.
The restaurant, a town staple for nearly two decades, first went on the market for $1.3 million in 2021. Owners Paula and Ronnie Dumas have plans to retire after more than 18 years of serving up classic comfort food, live music and outdoor drinks to visitors.
Under the name Ark Operations, Kyne transferred the business’s victualing and liquor licenses to the new entity in May, also seeking approval for expanded outdoor service at the location. According to schematic plans presented to the Town Council, Kyne plans to set up 14 additional tables in what is now a grassy vacant field to the side of the restaurant, along with a bar and outdoor games including cornhole and giant versions of Connect Four and Jenga, as well as ring toss.
Kyne, who has run the Waysider Grille on Post Road in East Greenwich since her purchase of that restaurant last year, told councilors she plans to keep the Burrillville business’s menu the same. Documents show Kyne also plans to keep the Uncle Ronnie’s moniker, dropping only the word “Red” from the current name.
She had also hoped to secure a license for outdoor entertainment at the venuw, but councilors told her it is currently prohibited by town ordinance.
“You’re welcome to rock out inside, like you always do,” Council President Don Fox said of the business. “There’s nothing we can officially approve for you for music.”
“There’s like three different places that do music outside, so I was a little confused,” Kyne said of the rejection. “The competition is crazy, because there’s music everywhere outside.”
Kyne noted that the business has only a few residential neighbors, who all indicated support for the plan.
“Surrounding towns and places in town have outdoor music,” she said. “I wasn’t trying to cause a ruckus in town.”
“You’re definitely in an area where it would make more sense,” agreed Fox, noting that the town’s Ordinance Subcommittee could look at the issue in the future. “It’s not necessarily going to happen immediately. We have to be very careful with the noise ordinances that we have.”
Kyne has already obtained the needed building, police, and fire approvals for the project to extend outdoor service to a triangular piece of the roughly 1-acre lot, with plans to fence in the new outdoor space offering a game area for both kids and adults. She appeared before the council twice in May, with Fox noting that councilors were confused by the initial application. The business already offers service on a 1,374- square-foot wood deck at the back of the restaurant.
“Most of us here understood her application to be for the patio that we know at Uncle Ronnie’s,” Fox said.
Now, renovations are approved to get underway as soon as the sale of the business finally closes.
“You’re good to serve drinks and beverages on your expanded patio now,” Fox said.
