CRANSTON, R.I. (WPRI) — Retirement. That’s what’s on the minds of the owners of Stadium Fish & Chip.
The seafood restaurant is a longtime Cranston staple, and while Monique and Gary Woods tell 12 News they’re ready to call it a career, they aren’t looking to close the restaurant for good.
The Woods are actually looking to sell their business, which Gary has owned and operated for nearly five decades.
“We want to retire, but in order to do that, we have to sell the business,” Monique said. “We’re going to stay a running business, we’re not going to close up right away.”
“We’re going to keep it running for as long as it takes for us to get somebody to purchase the business,” she continued.
When asked whether she and her husband would continue to visit once the restaurant has been sold, Monique laughed and said absolutely.
“We would come, but we would be customers,” she said with a smile.
Monique said they will alert customers on social media as to when “the right person” comes along and takes them up on their offer.
“We would like to see it stay as a seafood restaurant, but if it doesn’t then it’s out of our hands,” she said.
Putting the business up for sale is bittersweet for the Woods, who have seen generations of customers stop by over the years.
“We’re going to miss them,” Monique said while tearing up. “We’re going to miss everybody.”
Despite the change, the couple hopes that the restaurant stays open for years to come, especially for their regulars.
“We’ve seen families come in with their kids, and then their kids grow up and then they move away and then they get married,” she continued. “Then they have kids and they come in with their kids.”
Stadium Fish & Chip is open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The restaurant only accepts cash.
