Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not? - April 23, 2021

HOT

RIPTA Hero 

RIPTA Operator Eldora “Ellie” Giblin this week received a formal commendation by the board for stopping her bus and coming to the aid of man who seemed ready to jump off the Henderson Bridge.  

Giblin, a RIPTA driver for nine years, was driving Route 33 toward East Providence on April 3, when she stopped en route to talk to a man who had one leg over the railing of the bridge.  

Giblin said she was nervous but knew she had to take action because even though other cars had pulled over, no one was talking to the man.   “People just had their phones out and were taking pictures or video -- It broke my heart,” she said. 

“To say that she went above and beyond is an understatement,” said Scott Avedisian, RIPTA’s Chief Executive Officer. “Ellie is a reminder that there are many good people in the world and that acts of kindness can make a huge difference.  We are so proud that she is a RIPTA employee.” 

HOT

Cha-Ching

Loyal 9 Cocktails, a rapidly growing spirits-based ready-to-drink brand from Rhode Island's Sons of Liberty Spirits Company, has been acquired by the multinational beverage company Diageo. 

Diageo, one of the world's largest producers of spirits and beers, counts among its brands Guinness, Smirnoff, Ketel One, Captain Morgan, Bulleit, and more. 

Launched in 2018 in Rhode Island, Loyal 9’s vodka-based ready-to-drink cocktails include such flavors as Lemonade, Mixed Berry Lemonade, and Watermelon Lemonade, and are all gluten-free and produced with 100% real fruit.

According to Diageo, with a retail sales value of over $7.8 billion in 2019, ready-to-drink (RTD) is the fastest-growing category in total beverage alcohol in the United States, growing 20% between 2016 and 2019.

Read more here. 

HOT

Newport 

No one had a better money quote this week than Colin Kane.

“I think [this summer's] going to be like the end of prohibition," said Kane, Co-Owner of Hammetts Hotel in Newport. "The restaurant has the outdoor tables, and we're really bullish."

Newport is gearing up for a big summer of eating, drinking, and tourism. The coronavirus took its toll on the Newport tourism industry and a number of restaurants and bars did not survive. Harry’s on Thames and Griswold’s on Bellevue did not make it through the pandemic.

Now, Newport restaurant and tourism leaders are hoping for a big recovery.

In most years, the Newport mansions see upwards of one million visitors. In 2020, most of the venues were closed. No Jazz or Folk festivals. The Tennis Hall of Fame tournament was canceled.

Rhode Island continues to battle with the coronavirus. RI has the second most number of cases per 100,000 residents in the U.S., trailing only Michigan.

Kane, co-owner, Hammett's Wharf hotel is expecting a bounce-back season.

"The hotel's been doing really well [in 2021].  We’ve been full every weekend since January,” said Kane in an interview with GoLocal.

“I think the restaurant [Giusto] is doing great," said Kane, of the hotel's restaurant in the heart of the city on the water. "It's still a struggle with staffing, but I think they have built a great reputation — they opened last fall but then closed because of the restrictions, which were tough."

HOT

500,000

The good news is that more than 500,000 Rhode Islanders have had a first dose of the vaccine.

The bad news is it looks like about 300,000 adult Rhode Islanders have little interest in getting vaccinated.

HOT

John Chan

Chan, a 1974 graduate of Providence College, is Rhode Island’s foremost promoter of jazz and blues music, and owner of Chan’s Fine Oriental Dining in Woonsocket where he has hosted performances by numerous great and upcoming musicians since 1977.

This year PC will bestow Chan an honorary degree.

HOT

Geri’s Bluffing Boutique Brings African Design to Its New Main Street Woonsocket Store

Art dealer and retailer Geraldine Barclay-King has brought Africa to Woonsocket. Now, she has moved her African-themed shop Geri’s Bluffing Boutique to 285 Main Street this spring.

"Clothes talk to you, say things about you," says Barclay-King. "My West African roots show in what I wear and the items in my home." Though she started mostly with apparel, she has expanded to gifts, fashion accessories, and home decor from Africa along with handmade items and music. 

"At first my inventory was from my travels to Liberia," she said, "Then I bought animal prints for face masks, bow ties for men, and mud cloth for furniture and it all took off."

The new store came about after she succeeded in running a "pop up" shop last fall in the Mill Race Kitchen incubator space on South Main Street in Woonsocket. She recommends the approach to fellow entrepreneurs. "Retail was a huge risk due to the pandemic," she said. "But I got to work out all the kinks and felt ready to go big." 

NOT

Peloton

The emerging battle between the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the fitness company Peloton is taking its toll on the company’s stock.

But, Peloton is bucking the CPSC’s actions and is refusing to recall the treadmill.

On Saturday, the CPSC issued a warning to consumers about the danger of the popular Peloton Tread+ exercise machine after multiple incidents of small children and a pet being injured beneath the machines.

The company has been a darling of the pandemic with a series of home fitness products and online coaching.

But the battle hit Peloton’s stock — it dropped 7.28% and has fallen from a 52-week high of $171 a share to $107 — a 37% decline.

The Commission found that public health and safety required "this notice to warn the public quickly of the hazard."

The urgent warning comes less than a month after Peloton itself released news of a child’s death by a Peloton Tread+ and CPSC’s announcement of an investigation into that incident. There are nearly 40 other reports of injuries as of Saturday.

The CPSC was forced to issue a subpoena to the company to get the name of the family whose child died in an incident with the treadmill.

According to the Wall Street Journal, “Peloton initially refused to identify to the commission the family of the child who was killed until the company was compelled to do so by a subpoena. Mr. [John] Foley, the Peloton CEO, has defended the company’s decision to withhold that information. ‘Government agencies shouldn’t have unfettered access to consumers’ private information, and I am proud that we took a stand to protect these Members’ privacy,’ he said in Saturday’s letter [to customers].”

NOT

Referring to "Mission Accomplished" 

Dan McKee's reference to "Mission Accomplished" was clumsy at best -- or ominous at worst.

Just ask former President George W. Bush. 

Data shows that Rhode Island has had 300 deaths in the past 60 days. Doesn't seem like we are headed to victory anytime soon. 

NOT

RI Restaurants

Nearly every restaurant owner says they simply cannot get workers to come back to work.

Expect longer waits, fewer hours of service, and higher costs.