According to Bristolian and Neighborhood Champion Caitlin Mandel, “It’s a perfect month to focus on Bristol, Rhode Island, as it’s home to the oldest Fourth of July Celebration in the country! About a month before the 4th, the town’s citizens start decorating their homes with patriotic decor and walking around with big smiles on their faces shouting, “Happy Fourth!” to anyone they pass. It was very hard to narrow this list down to just five businesses, there are so many great local finds in this town!”
Thanks, Caitlin, for sharing just a few of your favorites. You know what to do, Rhode Island.
“The Beehive Cafe was founded in 2007 and features a delicious assortment of coffee, tea, and bakery items, as well as a full menu of seasonally inspired breakfast, lunch and dinner choices. The Beehive Cafe is right off the East Bay Bike path and is a great spot to refuel.”
“Owned by my good friend and talented local artist Maya Cordeiro, Bristol Looms makes handwoven textiles for the home such as napkins, blankets, table runners, and rag rugs. Maya is known for her unique color combinations that are often inspired by the natural landscape.”
“You will find this great sandwich shop on the corner of Bradford and Hope St. in downtown Bristol. The hilarious crew slings delicious thin crust pizza and inventive wraps, often to a soundtrack of Death Metal. Don’t forget to try The Bristolian, a wrap that features calamari and hot pepper rings.”
“Paper Packaging Panache has a thoughtfully-curated assortment of stationary, gifts and toys for children. This store has never let me down on a last minute gift run!”
- Unity Park (ha! I snuck in five more for the price of one 😄)
“One of the hottest new spots in Bristol is Unity Park, a collective of local businesses on Wood Street that is repurposing the industrial spaces that were once home to a Rubber Mill. Unity Park just opened in the past year, and features Brick, a high end pizza restaurant and Pivotal Brewing, which is a great place to hang out with friends. But as a former staff member of Hope & Main, I am most excited to see three Hope & Main members set up shop in town, including Fieldstone Kombucha, Borealis Coffee, and Basil and Bunny.”