Why was Olivia Culpo in East Greenwich? Insider's look at Union & Main, her new restaurant

EAST GREENWICH — Only the red carpet and the spotlight in the sky were missing on Tuesday when Olivia Culpo appeared for the official opening of Union & Main, her second restaurant.

The former Miss Universe was being followed by a full camera crew shooting season one of a new reality show. No one could talk about its name or streaming destination, as the show hasn't been announced.

"There are a lot of projects I can't talk about now, but soon," she said.

Culpo was relaxed and happy as she gave interviews, posed for photos and greeted friends amid the chaos of a busy restaurant.

She did say she is shooting a second season of "Paradise City" for Amazon Prime and has a deal with Formula 1 Racing that will bring her to Europe with her father, Peter Culpo. Her canned cocktail VIDE is also doing very well.

It seems there are always big things happening for Culpo, who noted she turns 30 next month. She continues to be a leading influencer in fashion and beauty with 5.1 million followers on Instagram. She has lots of partnerships and collaborations with her lifestyle brand. And she also has a famous football player boyfriend, Christian McCaffrey of the Carolina Panthers.

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But she is still very much that sweet, family-oriented woman who stole hearts when she captured the Miss America and Miss Universe crowns in 2012.

Though the Union & Main restaurant party was an invitation-only affair, one young fan heard about it and traveled from Newport to catch a glimpse of Culpo. They waited two hours until Culpo heard about them and left her party to say hi and make their day.

This is the second restaurant she’s opened in Rhode Island by teaming up with her father, cousin Joshua Culpo and their business partner Justin Dalton-Ameen. They opened the Back 40 in 2017.

Union & Main serves creative coastal cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner from a scratch kitchen at 455 Main St.

"It's a family restaurant, and for me that is the cherry on top," she said.

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Culpo said she learned all about hard work from her parents. Her father found himself with five kids as a struggling trumpet player. He became a restaurateur.

"We grew up in an atmosphere that appreciated both good food and community," she said. "To do that now with my family is so special."

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Not being with her parents was the worst part of the pandemic shutdown in 2020, Culpo said.

She was in Colorado with her sister Sophie, boyfriend McCaffrey and his parents, retired football player Ed McCaffrey and former Stanford soccer star Lisa McCaffrey. They couldn't travel, nor could her parents. They were alone in Cranston, and that was tough, she said.

"They have five children and none of us were home, and that was sad because they had nothing to do," she said. "When you have that many kids, you are social people."

But Culpo had projects she was able to do from Colorado. She launched More than a Mask in May 2020. The sales that year went to Feeding America, and 1.5 million meals were donated. The project continues, and a total of 3 million meals have been distributed.

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Culpo also talked about using her platform to speak as an ambassador for the Endometriosis Foundation of America. She went public about having the gynecological disorder and publicly revealed her scars from 2020 laparoscopic surgery.

She lived with pain for seven years while doctor after doctor told her everything was fine and normal with her painful periods.

"I don't want another woman to have to wait seven years for a diagnosis," she said. "It's so isolating, and that's why I wanted to give my voice to helping other women."

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Culpo said she gets goosebumps when her passion to bring light to the disorder resonates with women.

That means as much to her as any of the big things coming to her as an actress and a model.

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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Olivia Culpo, fashion influencer, opens Union & Main in East Greenwich