Rainbows Pottery Studio will not be coming to Nantucket after all. Owner Allison Carroll and the building’s co-owner confirmed Monday that the studio has pulled out of its planned second location at 1 Cambridge Street, following a wave of complaints and what Carroll described as “countless emails” sent to the landlord. The retreat scraps what had been billed as a spring expansion and leaves a high-visibility downtown storefront sitting empty just as the summer season approaches.
Carroll told the Nantucket Current that “we jointly decided, for the safety of the property and my family, it wasn’t a good idea to move forward,” and said she would instead hunt for a different location, according to Nantucket Current. Building co-owner Michael Cotton confirmed Rainbows will not be taking possession of the space as planned this spring and said the family currently has no plans for the upcoming summer. The handover was originally scheduled for early April before the opening was delayed into May.
Backlash Followed A Viral TikTok
The reversal comes on the heels of a social-media firestorm that ignited after a viral TikTok described an uncomfortable interaction with a longtime employee at the Back Bay studio. As reported by The Boston Globe, multiple former employees and customers then stepped forward with accounts of harassment and heavy-handed responses from Carroll. Those stories cranked up online scrutiny of Rainbows’ Newbury Street location and of how the business was being run.
Legal Tangles
Carroll’s battles with critics have not been confined to social media. She sued former patron Wendy Ji for $75,000 and sought restraining orders tied to online posts and disputes, moves that were later reduced or dismissed, as detailed by The Boston Globe. At a municipal-court hearing, a judge remarked, “That this could come to this over a pottery delivery is just breathtaking to me,” highlighting how a pickup issue spiraled into both criminal and civil filings. The Globe also reported that trial-court recordings indicate Carroll knew a longtime employee had been listed on the sex-offender registry, a revelation that helped fuel the online backlash.
Island Reaction
On Nantucket, local merchants said they were relieved the controversy is unlikely to land in their laps during the busy summer and argued that prime downtown real estate should showcase homegrown makers. Michael Cotton told the Nantucket Current the family “recognize[s] we have obligations to our tenants and the Nantucket community” and that the Cambridge Street space is available for now, as reported by Nantucket Current. Shopkeepers noted that landlords are staring at a fast-moving market for pop-ins and short-term summer tenants.
What Comes Next
Carroll has said she still plans to open a second studio at some point but will pause and regroup before trying again for a Nantucket location. The episode serves as a pointed reminder for business owners and landlords that social-media controversies can quickly complicate lease negotiations and summer-season plans on a small island.
