Southern Hospitality in East Providence

Dixie Carroll and Bill Jette met during what proved to be a serendipitous moment when Bill was visiting Nashville, where Dixie was a student. After it was clear their relationship was going the distance (and should no longer be long distance), Bill moved from East Providence to Music City to be with his betrothed while she finished graduate school. “I graduated in December and by March 1, he had me packing a trailer to Rhode Island,” she says, laughing.

Dixie and Bill, when they are not running J. Marcel, their successful boutique on Providence’s Hope Street, or opening a second location in Barrington this spring, they host concerts in their basement “Bad News Bar,” with live talent belting out tunes. “Our hope is people will feel like they want to stay longer than they had planned,” they say. “The house is set up, intentionally or not, for relatively small groups of people to gather for conversation in the dining room, living room, patio or bar. We’ve had some lively ones, and nothing is off limits. If there is a vibe, it’s to chill out with music, conversation, food and drink. Take your shoes off, help yourself or we’ll wait on you, whatever makes you happy.”