Dessert shop offers ‘pay what you can’ sale

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I.—After two years, the Brick Mill Dessert Café in Wakefield is closing.

The owners of the dessert-ice cream shop said it was becoming too difficult to survive in the current economic climate.

“It’s tough for a lot of people, but we gave it a whirl. It didn’t work out for us. Hopefully the next person who has that dream, goes for it and it works out well,“ said owner Randi Newman.

Newman said he knows many of their customers are also going through tough economic times. So for its last week in business, Newman said the ice cream shop is offering people a “pay what you can” deal.

“We’re going to allow families down on their luck to come in for a cheap afternoon. If you can afford a $1, great. If you can afford more, awesome,“ Newman said.

The deal will be offered from Tuesday through Friday with at least the first $500 going to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Newman’s daughter, Peyton, was diagnosed with diabetes earlier this year.

“It’s something that affects a lot of people and if it can help get a cure so that there are little kids not getting four needle pokes a day, it’s well worth it,“ Newman said.

It’s a bittersweet ending for Newman and his ice cream shop. He’s closing the door on a business, but going out by giving back.

“We’ve had great customers that have come in, and had conversations with me as they eat their ice cream and it’s a thank you because without them we wouldn’t have even been around this long,“ Newman said.