Storefront Stories

Behind every storefront, there’s a story

Think about the local shops and restaurants you’ve missed most –  the places and people that have become a part of your life. Like the barista who knows you by name. The restaurant where you celebrate every family birthday. The boutique owner who always has time to chat and give treats to your dog. The businesses are what make Garden City Center feel like home, and the sense of connection they bring feels more valuable than ever.

Now, as they reopen their doors, we’re highlighting some of our neighbors through a new series #storefrontstories. Through photos and five-minute interviews, we’re showcasing and celebrating the people behind the business you love, who have persevered through uncertain times and continue to make Garden City Center so special.

Watch the stories unfold here and on Instagram and get excited to return to your favorites. Photos by Sharum Photography.

Pinkberry

Kelli O’Neill, Franchise Owner

Q: What do you love most about working at Garden City Center?
A: I most enjoy the sense of community that exists at Garden City Center. We have the most loyal customers and we are so grateful for them

Q: What’s a positive thing that came out of the shutdown?
A: Our store began an online ordering system which is allowing us even more ways to serve our customers!

Q: Now that you’re back, what are you most excited for?
A: Our team is most excited to have our customers back in the store!

Q: What’s a fun fact you want customers to know?
A:The original Pinkberry flavors – Original, Chocolate Hazelnut and Pomegranate are consistently our top-selling flavors

Q: What’s your favorite emoji?
A: 🤔 – seems to sum up 2020!

Avvio Ristorante

Raul Esteves, General Manager

Q: What do you love most about working at Garden City Center?
A: We love being a part of the family-friendly community that Garden City Center is. At Newport Creamery, we focus on providing a comfortable, family-friendly atmosphere and tasty traditions – like our Big Beef Burgers, our very own locally made ice cream, and the classic Awful Awful. Being a part of Garden City Center has assisted us with staying true to our company’s roots and philosophy at providing that experience to our customers

Q: What’s a positive thing that came out of the shutdown?
A: One of the positive things that came out of the shutdown was the ability for everyone to slow down and enjoy their family. Working in a restaurant means many long hours and not that much time off. You take for granted the little things that happen every day.

Q: Now that you’re back, what are you most excited for?
A: We are most excited to get back to serving our guests. We have so many regulars come in daily or weekly. It was tough not seeing them everyday and sharing stories with them. The excitement you get from seeing someone truly enjoying themselves is additive and something you miss greatly.

Q: What’s your favorite emoji?
A: Favorite emoji has to be the smile. As soon as you see it, you start to smile without even noticing you are doing it. 😊

Newport Creamery

Katelynn Dodson, District Manager

Q: What do you love most about working at Garden City Center?
A: The thing I love most about Garden City is the quality of retail and restaurants available for everyone to visit. It is great taking a break and having the ability to walk down for a coffee or smoothie and of course browse the retail shops for new styles and trends.

Q: What’s a positive thing that came out of the shutdown?
A: Although we did not completely shut down, we were able to continue to provide the Newport Creamery experience through our take out window service. This allowed us to do our part in helping to slow down the spread of the virus. It was also a great way for us to provide our customers with “Good Mood Food” during the uncertain times.

Q: Now that you’re back, what are you most excited for?
A: At Newport Creamery, we believe food should be as fun as the dining experience. We are happy to provide our dining room experience and see the wonderful customer joining us in our outdoor and indoor dining opportunities. We are so excited to see their smiling faces once again as we get back to our new “normal”. 

Q: What’s a fun fact you’d like people to know?
A: Our famous Awful Awfuls are made with a special mixture of frozen ice milk, not ice cream! We use syrups and toppings to create the iconic flavors!

Barrington Books

Jennifer Massotti, General Manager
Favorite emoji: 🤔

Q: What do you love most about working at Garden City Center?
A: GCC is the best of both worlds. Where else could you find the beauty and comfort of an outdoor village atmosphere with the perfect mix of small, independently owned shops and restaurants and sought after national brands? We like to say GCC shares our motto, “as much a neighborhood store as it is a regional shopping destination.” 

Q: What’s a positive thing that came out of the shutdown?
A: Being an independent bookstore for over 30 years, we have been decidedly analog in our offerings. The shutdown forced us to embrace e-commerce as another avenue to serve our community. It was a gratifying discovery to see the online orders come through with little notes of support from our regulars. We were still there for them, just in a different way.

Q: Now that you’re back, what are you most excited for?
A: A lot of hard work goes into curating our store and preparing for a season. Much of what we offer is based on customer input and requests – the beauty of being an independent. We are most excited about welcoming the familiar faces (albeit masked) back into our stores to feel their delight at discovering all that’s new. 

Q: What’s a fun fact you’d like people to know?
A: The original Barrington Books has been around since 1986 and was named through a town-wide contest. When we opened our second location in GCC, we wanted to honor the long-standing loyalty of the community by keeping the name.

The Container Store

Brian McDonald, General Manager
Favorite Emoji: 😎

Q: What do you love most about working at Garden City Center?
A: I love the mix of retail and restaurants. It makes the Center really feel like a community.

Q: What’s a positive thing that came out of the shutdown?
A: We’ve offered curbside service for years, but during the shutdown we’ve really learned how much our customers love it! We also introduced Virtual In-Home Design to our customers, which has been received extremely well so far!

Q: Now that you’re back, what are you most excited for?
A: We’re looking forward to saying “Hello” to all our old friends, even though we won’t be able to see their faces behind their masks.

Q: What’s a fun fact you’d like people to know?
A: We’ve only been here at Garden City for 6 years, but our leadership team has over 57 years of experience with The Container Store!

Providence Diamond

Suzanne Pritsker Salamon, Owner
Favorite Emoji: ✨

Q: What do you love most about working at Garden City Center?
A: We are very lucky to have amazing neighbors, friendly customers and a supportive team from Garden City management. We love working in such a beautiful environment whatever the season is. Now, with Spring and Summer seeing all the greenery and flowers blooming, it is magical! We love seeing all the friendly people strolling by enjoying the fresh air. 

Q: What’s a positive thing that came out of the shutdown?
A: We had a lot of fun connecting with our clients on a more personal level through social media. We also launched a brand new website, with the ability to shop online!

Q: Now that you’re back, what are you most excited for?
A: We’re excited to see our clients, who we have missed dearly! Excited to be a part of the celebrations and happy moments in their lives. Also, Taco Tuesdays are back!

Q: What’s a fun fact you’d like people to know?
A: We have an internship program and many of our past interns have remained working full time in the store or have continued into the jewelry industry. In fact, our Store Manager, Alyse Duarte, started off as an intern from Rhode Island College, and now has been on our team for 6 years.

Modern Acupuncture

Crate & Barrel

Q: What do you love most about working at Garden City Center? 
A: I love the fact that Garden City is an outdoor center. The landscaping is nicely maintained and makes for a very unique shopping and dining experience.

Q: What’s a positive thing that came out of the shutdown?
A: I was able to spend uninterrupted and stress free quality time with my family.

Q: What’s a fun fact you’d like people to know?
A: We have 4 store associates that have been with the company for over 20 years.