It all started with a glassblowing studio. Benny Giguere had just moved from Vermont to Providence when he and high school friend, Matt Stone, decided to turn their passions into a brick-and-mortar endeavor. Giguere had been a glassblower for twelve years and felt Rhode Island was the perfect place to bring his talents.
That was around 2010. Now, in addition to a Providence glassblowing studio, Gather has two other businesses under its belt: an adjoining ice cream shop and a farm in Johnston. The goal for all three? To bring people together.
“One of the reasons we named it Gather was because the goal is to bring in more of the public and offer experiences,” Giguere says. “Gathering is the first thing you need to do in order to make something. We couldn’t do any of this without gathering.”
Fire and Ice
Located at the tail end of Atwells Avenue, Gather Glass and Gather Cafe & Ice Cream Bar offer an experience called Fire and Ice, where participants make their own glass (the fire) and then craft a batch of ice cream (the ice). I set out to try the experience that blends the two businesses, starting with glassblowing…