The seventh Seven Stars had its soft opening on May 7, with grand opening celebrations set for Wednesday, May 14, according to JJ Smith, the CEO of the artisan bread company.

Most recently, their newest location in Edgewood, at the intersection of Broad Street and Warwick and Norwood Avenues, was home to a Santander Bank.

“It’s a privilege to bring Seven Stars to this neighborhood,” said Smith, noting the company’s original founders, Jim and Lynn Williams, lived in Edgewood for a time. “This is a nod to their legacy.”

The new space will be among largest in the company’s portfolio at 2,500 square feet. Smith says the landlord explored trying to split the space into two storefronts, but after working with architects in an effort to maximize the customer experience, it was decided to keep current footprint.

The indoor and outdoor space will accommodate about 50 people seated. And to keep the operation humming, they will have a crew of 15 to 20 people.

Over the course of his career, Smith has worked with several brands and countless openings, but he notes a Seven Stars opening is different.

“[Seven Stars] is a Rhode Island icon,” he said. “One of our core values is being a part of the community, and we work to stay connected to the community.”

The café first opened in 2001 in Providence. Its Hope Street location, which was once a gas station, remains the bakery’s flagship location.

This is Smith’s second opening since joining the company as chief executive in March 2024. His first opening was Seven Stars number six in East Greenwich.

When asked what makes for a successful opening, without missing a beat he laughed and said, “have lots of bread on hand.”

He thanked his staff, particularly Sarah Williams, the head baker for Seven Stars, for drilling that point home with him. “You always need to have enough bread.”

Most of the baking happens out of the Seven Stars commissary on Royal Little Drive in Providence.

“We bake everything fresh every day, and after selling what we can, the rest gets donated to various food pantries,” said Smith.

The emphasis at Seven Stars is on an artisanal approach.

“We mill our own flour and there are no preservatives,” Smith said.  In addition to their café locations, they have started a wholesale business in recent years to cover more areas.

Asked about future expansion, Smith said the company is selective, but “we are always looking.”