Tavern Owner Hopes New Renovations Help 'Clean Up' Broadway Area

A month after the Tavern on Broadway, located at 16 Broadway in Newport, quietly opened, the owners say business has already exceeded their expectations.

“We have been opening slowly,” said Jim Blumel, a California native, who owns the restaurant with his wife Jill Blumel.  

He credits their success with good food and popular entertainment at night.

After a 14-month renovation that cost the Blumels over a million dollars, the restaurant opened on July 5. He said the previous bar, the Colonial Tavern, “never had a substantial renovation.”

“It was not salvageable,” said Blumel. “Police said the upstairs was a crack house. This area was really rough.” The Blumels converted the old "crack house" into four fully restored apartments, which will be available next month.  

Blumel said he hopes the renovations and the re-opening of the Tavern will help clean up the Broadway area, where the couple lives with their three daughters.  

The new owners worked with D&M Construction because of their experience with restoring historical structures. 

“Instead of replacing the windows, they took them out, repaired and renovated them, and put them back in,” said Blumel. They also took a 200-year-old beam from the rafters and repurposed it into a floor beam at the bar.  

The restaurant plans to have a grand opening in October. Watch the attached video to learn about the menu and beer selection.