Dear Hearts Ice Cream, the riverside scoop shop that anchored Pawtuxet Village for 40 years, has closed. Jeffrey Butler, whose family owned and operated the business for decades, confirmed the closure but offered few details about what comes next for the beloved Cranston landmark.
According to GoLocalProv, Butler said his father ran the store for 25 years and that generations of his family worked there over the decades. The shop sat on the river adjacent to the bridge in Pawtuxet Village, a spot generations of Cranston families associated with warm-weather cone runs and after-dinner walks along the water.
A Family Business Built Over Four Generations
Dear Hearts traces its roots back further than the Butlers themselves. Per the business's own website, the shop was founded in 1982 by Cranston residents George and Ellen Morton, with the Butler family taking over the tradition in 1998. From there, Dear Hearts describes itself as a family-owned and operated local seasonal ice cream destination that served Pawtuxet Village for more than 40 years, with the Butler family proudly managing it across four generations.
That multigenerational thread matches what Butler told the outlet directly: his family owned and operated the shop for decades, with relatives working there across generations rather than just a single stretch of ownership. The shop's listed address, per its website, was 2218 Broad Street, Cranston, Rhode Island 02905 — a fixture of the historic village bridge area that longtime residents came to know by sight.
Sold, but Details Remain Scarce
Butler confirmed to the outlet's food team that the store had been sold, but he did not disclose the identity of the new owner or what they plan to do with the space. What is clear is what stays in the family: Butler's family owns the building through a corporation, and he said they will continue to own the real estate even though the business itself has changed hands.
That distinction — business sold, land retained — leaves plenty open for Pawtuxet Village regulars wondering whether another ice cream stand might eventually open in the same riverside spot, or whether the building will take on a different purpose entirely. For now, those questions remain unanswered, and no timeline or reason for the closure has been confirmed.
