Phred's Drugs, Mardi Gras: Cranston Misses These Businesses Most

CRANSTON, RI — Everything has a favorite closed restaurant or business that nothing can measure up to. Patch wanted to know the most-loved businesses that Cranston readers wish would reopen.

In true Rhode Island fashion, the most popular response was Benny's, the beloved small-town stores that dotted the Ocean State for close to a century. The Park Avenue store closed in 2017, as part of the company-wide liquidation process.

Another frequent answer was Phred's Drugs, a popular pharmacy on Oaklawn Avenue. It permanently closed in 2018 after more than six decades in business.

Just down the road from Phred's was Mardi Gras, a multiclub complex later renamed Club 5. It closed its doors for good in 2018 before the complex was torn down. A liquor store is under construction on the site.

Here's a look at some other restaurants and businesses Patch readers miss in the Cranston area.

• Woolworth's
• Ruggieri's Market
• Tommy's Pizza
• Mo Mo's Drive Through
• Ponderosa
• Johnny B's Diner
• Papa's Pizza Patrol
• Almacs
• Circuit City