In the two years since the westbound side of the Washington Bridge abruptly closed, business owners in East Providence have gotten a crash course in adaptability. Some have closed because patrons gave up trying to get to them; others have embraced new ways of doing business. Jim Hummel spoke with the owners of three businesses about what they’ve gone through since late 2023.
Sterling Spellman – co-owner of Incred-A-Bowl Restaurant on South Broadway. Spellman and her husband Russ opened the store three years ago after running a successful food truck and catering business. Immediately after the bridge closed, the road in front of their restaurant became clogged with drivers looking for an alternative route and deterred some from going there. Over the past year, they saw their customer base increasingly dwindle and recently decided to go back to food trucks and special events instead of opening for regular hours at their business.
“As a small business (the bridge closing) was a big hit for us,” Spellman said. “And so we are determined to find a way to shift and we're just grateful because we know of other local places that have not been able to shift gears.”
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Maggie Leitao – has owned the Taunton Avenue Bakery for more than two decades, building a customer base that included patrons from all over the greater Providence area. Leitao said that before the westbound lanes of the bridge closed abruptly in December 2023, employees from Rhode Hospital would take the quick trip over and back for lunch. The bridge’s closure ended that immediately and she has worked to cultivate customers who live in the East Bay by expanding her menu. We spoke with her during lunch hour one day and the line stretched out the door.
“It's unbelievable how East Providence is actually such a great community and they focus…. on you,” Leitao said. “And a lot of people, they were like: ‘Oh my God, I would drive by, but I never stopped in. I didn't know you served lunch. I didn't know you served sandwiches.’ I had to kind of reinvent in a way…what can I do to just supply to all my local customers instead of having people from other cities coming here.”
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David Endicott – owner of Endicott Dance Academy, several hundred yards from the now-closed entrance to Route 195. Endicott said he had just gotten back on his feet from the pandemic when he found space of his own near the bridge. That was three months before it closed. He, too, has pivoted by attracting more customers from the East Bay – and trying to convince those on the other side of the bridge that coming during non-rush hour is not too bad.
“So you just learn how to keep your head above water and adapt to the new situation, Endicott said. “I mean it's just, there's not much you can do.”
