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Jul 13, 2023

Greenhouse in Narragansett out to prove eating healthy is tastier than you think

Tyler Basile, left, and his wife, Alex Basile, recently opened greenhouse in Narragansett. Tyler and Alex Basile of Greenhouse Gansett are on a mission to convince diners that salads can be

Tyler Basile, left, and his wife, Alex Basile, recently opened greenhouse in Narragansett.

Tyler and Alex Basile of Greenhouse Gansett are on a mission to convince diners that salads can be scintillating.

The couple opened Greenhouse, at 904 Boston Neck Road, on June 14 to rave reviews. The restaurant, which has been reviewed by a handful of patrons on Google, has quickly earned a 4.9 rating for its portions, its fresh ingredients, the atmosphere, and its friendly staff.

Tyler, a Narragansett native and URI graduate who set off for the greener pastures of New York and Boston with his wife Alex when he graduated 10 years ago, said he wanted to return home to pursue his passion of owning his own food establishment.

After having worked in at least 12 different restaurants between his teens and twenties, then selling equipment for a restaurant technology company, Tyler decided it was time to stop working with or for restaurants and open his own.

“I fortunately got to see the inside and out of this entire industry. I really enjoyed it and it was kind of a pipe dream to eventually have a place of my own here,” he said.

His wife, Alex, a real estate agent and Pilates instructor, majored in nutrition and dietetics at URI, so she, fortunately, became a great partner and supporter of Tyler’s pipe dream.

“It was between my desperately wanting to have a career in the restaurant industry beyond just working in one and then her vision and foresight into what Narragansett really needed,” Alex explained.

The pair devised a concept they called Greenhouse Gansett, which serves salads, grain bowls, cold-pressed juices, and wellness shots.

They borrowed aspects of well-known franchises like Sweetgreen and Pret-à-Manger, affectionately known to regulars as Pret, but were determined to add their own twists.

Using primarily local produce from Belmont Market and trendy, yet healthy accouterments as curated by Alex, the pair seems to have stumbled onto a very tasty product.

“I think what we really wanted to do is make sure that this is the kind of place where somebody who thinks a salad is just a salad says, ‘Wow, I didn’t realize that a salad or a bowl could be this good or different or exciting or filling.’” Tyler said.

In addition to unique and healthy flavors, Greenhouse pickles its onions in-house, and to remain inclusive in the food space, their crispy chicken is always gluten-free.

Diners can find offerings like the Far East, a salad featuring chicken and Asian flavors, the Greek Life, the couple’s take on the Greek salad, and the Wagon Wheel which features a spicy kick and a barbecue drizzle.

Greenhouse Gansett’s warm bowls offer proteins, grains, and surprising additions like marinated artichokes in the North of the Tower bowl, and jasmine rice, roasted sweet potatoes, and jalapenos in the Boon Street bowl.

It is the couple’s goal to both feed and nourish their customers. And their product, it seems, has intrigued guests of all ages.

“We’ve never seen as many kids coming through eating salads and bowls, which is super,” Alex said.

The restaurant supports in-store and online ordering for pickup or delivery, via DoorDash Drive.

The couple said they opened to a tremendous response just as the summer kicked off, and hope to become a staple for URI students as well.

Greenhouse currently offers cold-pressed juice in the morning, and the Basiles hope to be able to expand on their grab-and-go options for early in the day. Alex says she would love to offer a chia pudding, among other breakfast items.

“We’re hoping people just place their order online the night before and it’ll be ready for pickup at 9 a.m. before they hit the beach, boat, or golf course,” Alex explained.

Going forward, the couple intends to plan the menu around seasonal ingredients, experimenting with popular fall flavors.

Though some restaurants may shy away from customer feedback, Tyler says Greenhouse welcomes it.

“Feedback is the greatest gift we can get from people,” he said. “We’ve been fortunate about how much of it has been positive.”

“We’re learning a little more every day and making sure we’re giving people what they want.”

Alex, whose original plan was to help get the restaurant and its menu set up then return to her career, learned that breaking away was not so easy.

“I’ve been here pretty much every day since we opened,” she said. “I plan on weaning myself off from here a little bit, but definitely want it to be as successful as possible. I’m feeling a little protective!”

The couple agreed that to run successfully and provide an excellent product to their customers, it is essential to be part of a great team.

“The team we have hired here, that we work with here — to call them staff feels like an understatement,” Tyler said. “It’s like watching this place turn into a well-oiled machine in just a short period of time because they are having fun, they are enjoying it, and the days are flying by because we’re staying really busy.”

Greenhouse Gansett is open from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. on Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday, and 9-4 p.m. on Sunday. Check out the menu or order online at greenhousegansett.com.

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