State lawmaker, city councilor to challenge Garden City over Newport Creamery closure

CRANSTON, R.I. — A Rhode Island lawmaker is pledging to fight the planned Newport Creamery closure in Garden City Center.

State Rep. Charlene Lima (D-Cranston) announced Tuesday that she will join Cranston City Council member Andy Andujar in opposing the shutdown of the beloved restaurant, which has has been a tenant of the shopping center for over 60 years.

Newport Creamery’s parent company, Jan Companies, confirmed that the lease for the Garden City location will not be renewed and that the restaurant is expected to close sometime next year.

Lima said she and Andujar are prepared to fight the closure by “any means necessary,” including pressuring Garden City’s owner, WS Development, through financial channels. They suggested one potential course of action could be revoking any city or state tax incentives currently granted to the shopping center.

She also raised concerns about public safety at the shopping plaza, citing a recent uptick in criminal activity. Lima is calling on WS Development to hire police details for the property to address what she described as a growing safety issue for shoppers and employees.

Neither WS Development nor Garden City Center has issued a public statement in response to the lawmakers’ demands.

Newport Creamery began as a small dairy business in Newport, originally delivering milk and dairy products door to door. In the 1940s, it expanded into the restaurant business, transforming the creamery into a full-service eatery that sold ice cream and light meals.

At its peak, the chain had 33 locations across Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, serving generations of families, but now currently only has 10 locations.

The chain began to struggle in the 1990s and early 2000s, facing stiff competition from national fast-food brands and changing consumer habits.

After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2001, a Rhode Island-based restaurant franchise operator, Jan Companies purchased and revived the brand.

The restaurants deep roots in Rhode Island made the Newport Creamery closure spark public outcry.