SOUTH KINGSTOWN — Albert Terminesi and Sam Fry know the meaning of a good name. It’s been a huge draw for their recently opened restaurant at 1283 Kingstown Road.

It is called “Terminesi’s.”

Sound familiar? It should as the namesake for the legendary townie bar and restaurant, a fixture for over a half-century on Boon Street in Narragansett. The followers are just pouring in, says Terminesi, scion of the notable family.

“I had one woman show up after we closed one day and wanted to order. We told her we closed, but she said, ‘I knew his father’ and what could I do? I got her order and cooked it,” he recalled.

It’s that downhome flavor of Italian cooking along with the cachet of a name that many associated with good food or maybe just good times.

The Boon Street bar was a “Cheers Bar,” like the one on the original television sitcom based on the Boston bar “Where everybody knows your name.”  

In its more restaurant-style recreation, the new Terminesi’s Peace Dale menu has a variety of offerings to please any palate. Among the favorites savored these days are “Chicken Boon” once served the next town over and “our meatballs we can’t keep,” said 45-year-old Terminesi who worked in his family’s restaurant.

However, he credits these delicious dishes and others to more than a family inheritance of recipes. He spent two years in Italy, he said, learning how the old country cooked genuine Italian food and also worked in other restaurants.

“The simpler, the better,” he said, noting that his marinara has only five ingredients, “but I won’t tell you what they are,” he said with a laugh.

He does, though, disclose who provides bread that has a crust with soft texture inside “just the way that good Italian bread should be,” he said. It is Buono’s on Hartford Avenue in Providence.

His daily orders started with 20 loafs and now he and Fry, 47, put in nightly orders for 50 or more, he said.

Something the old Term’s, as it was called by locals, didn’t have was a social media presence. This Terminesi is embracing the technology to keep everyone informed and promote what he and Fry are doing.

For instance, his Facebook site said at 5:18 p.m. on Sept. 8, “We’ve got some bitter sweet news to share today. Our beloved sub bread, which has been a cornerstone of our delicious sandwiches, is out for the night.

“It seems that our fresh, crusty sub bread was in such high demand that it couldn’t resist being devoured by our loyal customers! We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to each and everyone of you for making our subs a must-try delicacy. We apologize for any inconvenience this temporary shortage may cause. We are confident it’ll be worth the wait.”

A modern twist to the old-school service he learned over in Narragansett. He and Fry opened the restaurant just recently, but had a breakfast gig at the site when it was under a different owner. Now they just do lunch and dinner.

They bought out the lease, fixed up the place, purchased some new equipment and set up shop. They are open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday – Saturday, and 12-6 p.m. on Sunday.

And speaking of hailing the old, such as his family’s long-gone restaurant, he opened this revival business just around the corner from where Peace Dale’s neighborhood Italian restaurant, “Giro’s,” was once located and is now home to the Flatts Smokehouse.

Even thinking about bringing back the Giro’s name was never an option. “Terminesi’s” had staying power, he said.

“The name would give a draw, a remember-when factor, like, ‘Remember when we were at Term’s’ someone would likely say. There was nothing to decide,” he said.

South Kingstown

• Seaworthy Coffee Roasters is thrilled to announce their brand new Snapchill Cans. These are fresh-roasted Boathouse blend and chilled instantly to preserve nuanced flavor of hot brewed coffee. These cans can be stored at room temp and are best enjoyed cold.
• People’s Credit Union’s Wakefield Branch partnered with Clean Ocean Access on July 31 for a Charlestown Beach clean-up. The branch team walked the beach gathering sea debris, general refuse, and other environmentally unfriendly items using supplies provided by Clean Ocean Access.

The day was all part of a general partnership with Clean Ocean Access and an opportunity for the Credit Union to promote team building and impactful volunteerism.

In other news for the business, People’s Credit Union has appointed Symphony Pena as Head of Wakefield Market Development at the Credit Union’s branch on Old Tower Hill Road, Wakefield.

Pena will be managing the day-to-day operations of the branch including personnel, and member relations covering all personal and business products and services as well as Credit Union community involvement for the Wakefield and South Kingstown areas. Previously Pena was with Coastal1 Credit Union and HarborOne Bank.

• Skills for Rhode Island’s Future (Skills RI) is actively recruiting training participants for the upcoming Biotech Boot Camp Training Program that starts Monday. Participants can get started on the path to a rewarding, future-proof career in biotechnology.

This two-week intensive program will take place at URI’s world-class Pharmaceutical Development Institute and participants will have the chance to learn face-to-face, ask questions, and practice skills hands-on in a state-of-the-art laboratory setting. Go to  https://academy.skillsforri.com/job-training-programs-in-rhode-island/biotechnology-training-program-in-rhode-island for more information.

• Join the Southern RI Chamber of Commerce for a free Human Resources Management workshop on Friday, October 20 at 8:30 a.m. Attorney Joshua Hawks-Ladds of Pullman and Comley LLC will discuss how to effectively coach and discipline employees to improve productivity and avoid legal exposure.

This seminar is free and open to both members and non-members. Seating is limited and pre-registration is required.

• Crisafulli Business Coaching in South Kingstown recently announced a new business service offering — Business Valuations. Many business owners do not know the value of their companies.

Understanding the value of a business is important for planning purposes and decision-making. By knowing the value of a business, an owner can decide on a strategy that focuses on increasing the value should they be planning an exit strategy.

Having an informational valuation is also useful for completing your personal financial statement, estate planning, shareholder agreements, etc.

• The Town of South Kingstown’s 300th Anniversary Speaker Series continues next week as Stephen Long, author, editor and founder of Northern Woodlands magazine, presents a talk on “The Effects of the 1938 Hurricane in Rhode Island.”

This lecture is free and open to the public and will be held September 21 at 7 p.m. in the South Kingstown High School auditorium.

• Save One Soul Animal Rescue League in Wakefield will be sponsoring the 7th Annual Crate Escape 5k on Sunday, October 8 at Slater Park in Pawtucket.

Registration is now open. Run, walk, or crawl your way to the finish line! Canine friends are welcome to tag along as well. SOS is currently soliciting sponsors for this major fundraiser.

• South County Hospital’s Center for Advanced Orthopedic Surgery, a joint partnership between South County Health and Ortho Rhode Island, has earned recognition for Advanced Total Hip and Knee Replacement Certification.

Narragansett

• Karen Catuogno, the principal and managing broker at Abbott Properties LLC., Narragansett, has been selected as the 2023 Realtor of the Year of the Rhode Island Commercial and Appraisal Board of Realtors. This award is based on her outstanding contributions and leadership in the real estate industry.

North Kingstown

• The Town of North Kingstown Department of Public Works has worked extensively with Rhode Island Energy to include the McGinn Park Football Field and Ryan Park Men’s and Women’s Baseball Fields in an On-Bill Repayment (OBR) program.

This program will result in significant energy and cost savings with the conversion of existing lights to LED fixtures for those highly utilized community recreation sites.

RI Energy’s OBR program will allow the Town of North Kingstown to install the new LED fixtures with zero up-front cost with repayment included in monthly bills with zero interest over five years.

“Not reflected in the cost of the lighting upgrades for these facilities,” says Town Manager A. Ralph Mollis, “is the energy savings that LED upgrades provide, as well as the consistent revenue to the Recreation Department that reliable lighting offers.”

McGinn and Ryan Park fields are regularly rented for adult and youth leagues and organizations for seasonal activities, but “existing lighting fixtures are dated with several fixture housings starting to fail,” says Adam White, Director of Public Works.

“The result is that practices and games have had to be canceled when the lights are inoperable,” he said.

Recently, the stadium at North Kingstown High School was approved in the RI Energy OBR program. It is a successful example of a recreational LED conversion project.

Around South County

• The Southern Rhode Island Chamber will hold its 11th Annual Taste of Southern Rhode Island on September 28 from 5-8 p.m. at Clark Farms in Matunuck. Its chief sponsors are the South County Tourism Council and South County Health.

The Taste of Southern Rhode Island is South County’s premier culinary event—a dazzling night of food sampling and spirit tastings from Southern Rhode Island’s best restaurants and culinary masterminds.

Joe Viele, chamber executive director, reports that the event has already sold out. Participating vendors include Arturo Joe’s, Bar On Board (B.O.B.) Cocktails, Caf Bar, Chair 2, Chophouse Grille, Exeter Job Corps Academy, Flatts Smokehouse, Geaber’s Liquors, George’s of Galilee, Go Pasta, Gooseneck Vineyards, Iggy’s Doughboys & Chowder House, Island Deli Sandwich Shop, Kabuki Japanese Restaurant, Lani Sangria, Liberty Wine & Spirits, Matunuck Oyster Bar, Matunuck Pizza Pie Co., Mews Tavern, NY Pizza of RI, Ocean Mist, Pasquale’s Pizzeria Napoletana, PHIL’S Main Street Grille, Pranzi Catering & Events, Seaworthy Coffee Roasters, Shaidzon Beer Co., Sons of Liberty Beer & Spirits Co., Sophie’s Brewhouse, Surfside Coffee, Sweenors Chocolates, Tapped Apple Cidery & Winery, The General Stanton Inn, The Pub, TwoTen Oyster Bar & Grill, and Whalers Brewing Co.

Westerly Community Credit Union (WCCU) recently announced that Richard Champ has been promoted to vice president of commercial lending. He is responsible for credit, sales and directing all activities of the Commercial Lending Department.

The business also announced that Aaron Clark has joined its team as vice president of accounting and finance. His responsibilities include overseeing the accounting and finance department as well as maintaining an accounting system that accurately reflects the financial position of the Credit Union.

In other news, WCCU recently launched a new fixed-rate mortgage program for first-time homebuyers called “Welcome Home”. The program only requires 1% down and there is no private mortgage insurance (PMI) or points added to the mortgage.

Lastly, Kevin Gervasini has been promoted to director of retail and partner lending. His responsibilities include overseeing and directing all activities of the loan department. He most recently held the position of lending manager.