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🏆 Golden Whisk Award finalists are here. Meet the 2026 nominees →
2026 shared kitchen summit
Providence, Rhode Island
October 12-14, 2026
Providence brings together a rich creative culture and one of the most dynamic food scenes in the country. Home to innovative chefs, makers, and food entrepreneurs, the city fosters collaboration and new ideas at every turn. Its walkable downtown and fall setting make it an ideal place to gather, learn, and plan what’s next.
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Plan Your trip
Getting to Providence
Providence is easy to get to and even easier to love. Here's everything you need to plan your stay for October 12–14, 2026.
Summit Home Base: CIC Providence
Located in the heart of Providence's Innovation District at 225 Dyer St, Providence, RI 02903 — a collaborative workspace and event venue steps from the waterfront. Easy to get to, easy to get around once you're here.
Where to Stay
All hotels below are within walking distance of CIC Providence, listed by proximity.
~0.1 miles · Closest
Aloft Providence Downtown
191 Dorrance St
Modern, social-focused hotel in the heart of downtown with multiple in-house dining options. Valet parking available.
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~0.5 miles
Hampton Inn & Suites Providence Downtown
58 Weybosset St
Reliable, well-reviewed with free breakfast and a complimentary 2-mile shuttle. A solid value pick.
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~0.5 miles
The Beatrice
90 Westminster St
Boutique hotel with a strong reputation for service. Worth it if you want a more curated stay.
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~0.6 miles
The Graduate by Hilton Providence
11 Dorrance St
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~0.7 miles
Omni Providence Hotel
1 W Exchange St
Full-service hotel connected to the convention center. Great if you're traveling with more luggage or want on-site dining and amenities.
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Flying In
Recommended Airport
Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport (PVD) in Warwick — approximately 10 miles south of downtown Providence, served by most major carriers.
🏆 Bonus: PVD was just named the #1 domestic airport in the country for the second year running by Travel + Leisure — so getting to Providence might be the easiest part of your trip.
Public Transit from PVD
RIPTA Route 20 runs directly to Kennedy Plaza downtown (~30 min, ~$2). CIC is a 15-min walk or quick rideshare from there. Plan your trip at ripta.com.
Rideshare from PVD
Uber and Lyft both serve PVD. Expect 15–20 min to downtown, $20–30 depending on time of day. Pickup is curbside at arrivals.
Taxi from PVD
Available at the arrivals curb — no app required, comparable pricing to rideshare.
Getting Around Providence
Providence is a walkable city — most hotels are within easy walking distance of CIC. For trips beyond walking range:
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RIPTA Bus — Extensive network throughout the city, most routes connecting through Kennedy Plaza. ~$2/trip. ripta.com
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Rideshare — Uber and Lyft are active and reliable for getting between neighborhoods, to dinner, or to/from the train station.
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Driving & Parking — Street parking in the Innovation District is limited. Check ParkProvidence for nearby garages and current rates.
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By Train — Providence Station is on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor with service from Boston, New York, and D.C.
Agenda Preview
A taste of what's to come at this year's summit. View the full agenda here.
Early Check-in and Networking
Kick off the Summit with early swag pickup and networking.
Resource Happy Hour
Unwind after day one with partners and peers.
Shared Kitchen Bus Tour
Explore local shared kitchens and see how they operate.
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Lunch with Regional Operators
Join operators in your region for lunch and conversation around shared challenges and opportunities.
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Mentoring Madness
Personalized, one-on-one mentoring with industry experts.
3rd Annual Golden Whisk Awards
Our grand finale celebrating the visionaries, operators, and unsung heroes of the shared kitchen community.
All of this, and more, alongside insightful discussions, in-depth workshops, and expert-led panels shaped by the needs and feedback of the shared kitchen community. Explore last year’s recap.
Why Attend in 2026
Each year, the Shared Kitchen Summit brings together forward-thinking operators and partners for real-world insight, meaningful connection, and practical learning. Shaped by direct feedback from shared kitchen operators, the Summit continues to evolve alongside the industry, making 2026 a moment worth planning for.
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FAQ's
Below, you’ll find answers to our most frequently asked questions to help you make the most of your experience.
October 12-14, 2026!
Below is a high-level day-by-day agenda for our Summit. This 2025 Summit recap blog provides a deeper look at the experience you can expect.
Note: this is subject to change and will be updated as plans are locked in.
Pre-Summit Event
Kick off your Summit experience early! Grab your swag bag and jump right into meeting up with your fellow operators, partners, and industry friends before the main event even begins.
Don’t forget to stop by the tables of some incredible, innovative food businesses working in Providence's shared kitchens at our Makers Market, running alongside check-in.
Day 1
Summit Sessions: Expect our Summit to kick off around 9 am with our State of the Industry from our founder Ashley Colpaart. The day will be packed with expert-led discussions, insightful panels, and hands-on workshops. Sessions are expected to go until 4 pm.
Regional Lunch: A favorite from our 2025 Summit returns! Sit down with operators from your region for a power-packed lunch. Compare notes, tackle location-specific challenges together, and discover collaboration opportunities that could transform your local food ecosystem.
Resource Happy Hour: Unwind after our first day of sessions and meet partners who can streamline your operations, save you time, and support your clients, all while you sip, snack, and connect.
Breakfast, lunch, and light apps are provided during Happy Hour.
Day 2
Summit Sessions: The learning and connecting continue with a half day of sessions, 9 am-12 pm.
Shared Kitchen Bus Tour: Hop aboard for an insider’s look at local shared kitchens! Walk the floors, meet the operators running the show, and see the real-world solutions, layouts, and workflows in action. The bus tour will begin with lunch, and contain 3-4 stops. Expect the tour to end around 4-5 pm.
Breakfast and lunch provided.
Day 3
Summit Sessions: Another full day of impactful sessions and workshops from 9 am-3 pm.Third Annual Golden Whisk Awards: Our grand finale! Celebrate the visionaries, operators, and unsung heroes shaping the shared kitchen world. This is the only awards ceremony dedicated to honoring the work you do and the celebration you truly deserve. The event will begin around 6 pm and end between 9-10 pm.
Breakfast, lunch, and a light dinner at the Awards provided.
We do our best to find venues within walking distance of one another and our host hotel. If this is not possible, we’ll make things as easy and convenient for you as possible within our budget. Buses are provided for the Shared Kitchen Bus Tour.
March 1–31: Early Bird pricing! (The time to get your ticket!)
April 1: Regular pricing begins
September 28: Last-minute pricing begins (So, don’t wait!)
A lot of planning goes into the Summit, and we work with multiple venues and vendors. The three-week mark is traditionally when we need to have our final guest counts in for catering, seating, name badges, swag bag items, etc. Securing as firm a guest count as possible within this timeframe helps us ensure we provide the best experience possible and stay on budget.
Registration: $700–$1,000
Limited Early Bird tickets available
Flights (Round-trip to Providence – PVD): $300–$600+
Varies by departure city and booking timing
Hotel (October rates): $180–$350+ per night
Most mid-range hotels: ~$200–$250/night
Meals & incidentals: Varies
Estimated total cost: $1,800–$3,000 per attendee
Booking early can significantly reduce airfare, lodging, and registration costs.Check out this blog we wrote detailing the value of our Summit and tips for communicating the ROI to your organization/kitchen’s decision-makers. We even included a script template to help drive conversation.
Yes! We’ll offer a Golden Whisk-only ticket for any tagalong folks joining you in Providence.
We are currently seeking donations and sponsorships to support Summit scholarships. If funds are secured, we'd love to offer partial or full scholarships. If you are interested in being notified if and when scholarships are available, please email events@thefoodcorridor.com. Please note, at this time, we do not have scholarship funds available. Tickets are limited and may sell out before scholarship funds are secured.
We’re glad you asked! Our Sponsorship Referral Program is returning for 2026. If you introduce us to a new sponsor who commits to financially supporting our Summit at $5,000 or above, you will earn a free ticket!
Have a favorite service provider in mind? Introduce us by emailing events@thefoodcorridor.com. If that’s not easy enough, here’s an email template you can use. Thanks for helping us out!
Visit our Sponsor page for all of the details. We have multiple levels and à la carte opportunities to choose from. Have questions? Reach out at events@thefoodcorridor.com.
Most folks dress business casual. We want you to feel comfortable and consider the weather. Layers are highly recommended. We’ll also provide coat checks.
Batten down the hatches, the Golden Whisk Awards is setting sail for a night at the Herreshoff Marine Museum, and we expect you to look the part. We want to see pirate hats, mermaid tails, your best sea creature or boat-related character alter ego. If it's seaworthy, it's welcome. Attire is encouraged, not required. We tend to go all out, and hope you'll join us.
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Comfy shoes (for walking, exploring, and dancing)
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Layers (fall in Providence is gorgeous, but temperatures may fluctuate throughout the day)
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Charged devices (to take all of the pictures and connect via the Eventee App)
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Notepad (if you prefer handwritten notes)
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Laptop (if you prefer digital notes)
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Business cards (for networking)
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Costume attire for the Golden Whisk Awards (more details to come)
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While we firmly believe our Summit is an experience best attended in person, with face-to-face connections, we've heard your requests for a virtual option. We're exploring what this could look like with our host venue, CIC. Note that if we do offer a virtual ticket, we cannot guarantee all sessions can be offered virtually. We will update our website and community if we decide to offer a virtual ticket. Tickets are limited and may sell out while we look into this option.
At this time, we do not have a reserved hotel block. The booking rates currently available directly from nearby hotels are a better value than block rates we received. Check out our travel page for recommended nearby hotels. The Aloft hotel is the closest hotel to CIC, our home base venue.
