Garden City Newport Creamery demolished after 60 years

CRANSTON, R.I. — The Garden City Newport Creamery was demolished Saturday as crews tore down the longtime restaurant months after it closed its doors.

he Cranston landmark served generations of Rhode Islanders for more than 60 years before closing on Dec. 28, 2025. The restaurant had originally been expected to remain open through the end of 2026 before being demolished in 2027. Instead, property owner WS Development exercised an early lease clause, forcing Newport Creamery to close a year early and paving the way for Saturday’s demolition.

Final goodbye for a Rhode Island landmark

As demolition crews brought down the building, former customers gathered to watch and take photos, saying a final goodbye to a restaurant that had been part of birthdays, family dinners, post-game celebrations and countless Awful Awful memories.

When the restaurant announced its closure last year, Newport Creamery said the decision was not its own. According to the company, WS Development chose not to renew the lease, leaving the restaurant without a way to remain at the shopping center.

Other locations remain open

Although the Garden City location has closed permanently, Newport Creamery continues to operate its other restaurants across Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts.

The company previously said employees from the Cranston restaurant would be offered opportunities to transfer to other locations.

The former restaurant site is expected to be redeveloped into new mixed-use retail space as part of Garden City Center’s ongoing redevelopment plans.