Providence’s Newest Restaurant Is All About Chicken and Waffles

House of Chicken & Waffles isn’t asking anyone to choose between sweet and savory. It’s putting both on the same plate, then adding enough waffle flavors, syrups, butters, and crispy chicken to make one visit feel like only the beginning.

Co-owners Richard Monroe and Adonis Cossia will celebrate the restaurant’s grand opening Friday, July 31, at 105 Plainfield Street in Providence. The free event starts at 5:30 PM with live music, complimentary food samples, giveaways, and a ribbon cutting.

The opening gives a permanent address to a concept Rhode Islanders first met as a food truck. Now, Monroe and Cossia have more room to stretch out the menu, which includes more than 20 waffle flavors paired with Southern-inspired comfort food prepared with Halal ingredients.

Diners can build their order with specialty butters, flavored syrups, different honeys, and premium chicken options. Seasonal dishes and gluten-free choices will also make appearances, which means working through the full menu could take some commitment.

Twenty-plus waffle flavors is a lot to tackle, but becoming a regular feels like a perfectly reasonable solution.

“We didn’t want to create just another restaurant,” Cossia said. “We wanted to build an experience.”

That experience started on four wheels, but Monroe and Cossia always had bigger plans for it. They’ve spent years refining the food, tightening up service, and figuring out how to grow without losing the quality that earned the truck its following.

The new storefront gives them a chance to do more than serve dinner. They hope it’ll become a neighborhood gathering place, create local jobs, and show other aspiring entrepreneurs what can happen when a good idea gets the support it needs.

“Our goal has always been bigger than opening a restaurant,” Monroe said. “We wanted to build something that creates jobs, serves our community, and can one day grow without sacrificing quality.”

RIBBA helped support the move from truck to storefront with legal guidance, marketing assistance, and a $3,000 Grand Opening Grant. House of Chicken & Waffles celebrates its grand opening Friday, July 31, at 5:30 PM. Visit House of Chicken & Waffles online for menu updates and more information.