NARRAGANSETT, R.I. (WPRI) — Some residents who live near a new business on Boon Street in Narragansett say the eatery has upended their lives.

Boon Street Market opened back in June and has only gotten busier ever since. “We’re reasonable people. We understand it used to be a laundromat here, now it’s a busy restaurant,” said general manager Brandon Johnson.

The eatery offers a variety of different food stalls, bar areas, outdoor seating and more.

“Part of what we wanted to do is revive Boon Street,” Johnson explained. “Make this a fun place people can come and take their families, their kids, their dogs and attract everyone from town.”

Residents’ concerns over the business were brought to light during recent town council meetings. Johanna Schiffer spoke up at one of the meetings, telling the councilors that her husband has stage 4 cancer. “He can’t sleep. This is no way for him to meet his end,” she said during the public comment period.

Schiffer knows the neighborhood well, having lived there for nearly three decades. “It’s a nightmare. It’s turned our lives upside down,” she told 12 News on Wednesday.

Residents said they have been plagued by traffic, crowds, trash, public urination and noise since the restaurant opened. “Boon Street is like Bourbon Street,” Schiffer said. “It’s like the French Quarter during Mardi Gras.”

Narragansett’s town manager said he met with the owners of Boon Street Market this week and offered suggestions for how to address the issues.

Johnson said the business has made multiple changes, including adding more bathrooms, adjusting their speakers, removing an outdoor stage for live music and putting signs up urging patrons to be respectful.

“Since we’ve opened, we’ve been on top of making changes,” Johnson explained. “A lot of the issues we’ve had have been costly, but we’re willing to spend the money and put the effort in to make this place an area that anyone can come and enjoy.”

Schiffer thinks more still needs to be done. “You have to close earlier,” she said. “You can’t have that noise at 12 and 1 o’clock.”

According to the town manager, officials are giving Boon Street Market more time to make adjustments before reaching back out to the business and its neighbors.

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