Seventh Star to shine, Wein-O-Rama to rise again

Two local gastronomical favorites have good news for area foodies.

Cranston’s Wein-O-Rama, which shut its doors at the end of the summer after 62 years in business, is being resurrected. And Seven Stars, the Rhode Island-based artisan bakery chain, is looking to open a new store and café in the Edgewood section of Cranston.

Seven Stars

An employee at Seven Stars headquarters in Providence confirmed last week that the bakery is working on a new café in the Edgewood area with the goal of opening it in the spring. They declined to be named, but said “it is exciting to be expanding … This will be the seventh star in our constellation of cafes.”

The popular bakery is known for its buttery, rich, flaky pastries as well as homemade scones, muffins and cookies.  It also offers hearty breads, sandwiches, coffee and flavored lattes and espressos. It sells many of its products at grocery stores and specialty markets in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New York.

It opened its first shop in 2001 on Hope Street in Providence and has continued to expand, and now has six café locations in Rhode Island.  Three are in Providence, one in the Rumford section of East Providence, one in Cranston, and a new one that opened last spring in East Greenwich.  The Hope Street location, which was once a gas station, remains the bakery’s flagship location. Since 2007, the baking has taken place at a dedicated location in Pawtucket.

Wein-O-Rama

People who relied on the homey Cranston diner as their favorite place to get their fix of hot wieners can relax again.

The restaurant, which featured other homemade items in addition to wieners with the traditional toppings, closed in August after 62 years in business. But it will soon be reopened thanks to two Rhode Island businessmen.

Eric Beaune, owner of Garden Hills Fruit and Deli, and Chris Tasca of Fly Alliance are reopening the local institution at 1009 Oaklawn Ave. They hope to have it open by early spring and said they are planning to keep as much the same as possible – from the menu to the staff.

“Of course, this is a place I know from growing up in Cranston, but also as a professional, I liked to go there to sort of reset my week,” Tasca said this week. He is the president and co-founder of Fly Alliance, a private aviation group that provides luxury jet charters and other aviation services, according to its website.

Tasca confirmed reports that he and Beaune have reached out to the former staff to rehire them, and said there are no plans to change the menu or the winning wiener formula. In fact, he said, they plan to keep the business as much the same as possible.

“This isn’t just about owning a business,” he said. “It’s more of a legacy project.”

Founded by Mike Sotirakos in 1962, and with his sons George and Ernie taking over after he retired, the diner stayed in the family until it closed. The brothers said it had simply come time to hang up their aprons, but they will always miss their customers.

“I’d just like thank everyone for their years of support,” George said.