Coldstuff Ice Cream opened Aug. 1 in a 200-square-foot space in the Blackstone plaza that also houses Goodstuff Smokehouse and Brewery. The shop offers 30 hard-serve flavors made with Maine-based Gifford’s Ice Cream, according to the Valley Breeze.
Owners describe repeated disputes with customers
In the shop’s first 10 weeks, co-owners Dave Forgit and Kevin Miller said teenage employees repeatedly faced disrespect from customers. Miller told Boston 25 News that the incidents stood out because the purchases were small. Forgit told the outlet the latest dispute followed a customer’s complaint about being charged the wrong price for a sundae.
A Facebook post draws attention
In a Sunday Facebook post, Forgit asked customers not to shout at employees, writing, “STOP YELLING AT MY [EXPLETIVE] EMPLOYEES.” He urged customers to raise problems politely and said those who would not should not return, according to Boston 25 News. The outlet reported the post received hundreds of thousands of likes and comments from around the world.
When the shop reopened Tuesday after the post drew widespread attention, customers lined up to buy ice cream and show their support, Boston 25 News reported. Mackenzie Cahill said she came after seeing the post. Sarah McKiel told the outlet it gave her another reason to support the business and that she planned to return.
Rhode Island guidance on youth work
Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training guidance lists kitchen work and preparing and serving food and beverages among jobs youth can do, subject to age-based restrictions. The agency’s Labor Standards Unit investigates complaints involving child labor, among other workplace matters, according to the department; its information does not establish that any complaint has been made about Coldstuff.
