Brickley's Ice Cream Closes Store, Citing Abusive Customers

WAKEFIELD, RI — I scream, you scream, we all scream — and now, no one gets ice cream.

On Tuesday, Brickley's Ice Cream announced the Wakefield store closed for the season. The owner said the decision was made after several instances of customers verbally abusing staff.

"We had another incident that occurred at our Wakefield store this past Sunday," the owner said in a post on Facebook. "In summary, two men who were angry that they could not stay and eat their ice cream on our patio then argued with, swore at and verbally abused both our staff and that of our neighbor."

A customer tried to intervene and the men became enraged, with the situation "almost coming to blows," according to the owner.

"This is unacceptable and is becoming unsafe for both our staff and customers," the owner said. "We have a limited and young staff at our Wakefield store and must keep them safe."

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the rules on Brickley's patio were changed for the 2020 season. Customers are not allowed to sit on the patio to eat their ice cream and cannot gather in groups due to limited space.

The issue has been ongoing for several weeks. In late June, the owner said a closure might be necessary if angry customers continued to yell at staff, refuse to wear a mask, or disregard social distancing guidelines.

The owner discussed possibilities with the staff and the "difficult" decision was made to shutter the Wakefield location for the remainder of the summer. The Narragansett location remains open Wednesdays through Sundays. Some Wakefield employees will be moved to the Narragansett store.

"We have more staff in Narragansett, more room for customers to enjoy their ice cream as well as more senior staff that can help mitigate problems that may arise," the post concluded. "We so appreciate all of our local and dedicated Wakefield customers. We are so sorry to have to make this painful decision and look forward to serving you all again in Wakefield during the spring of 2021."