Hasbro Move Leaves 600 Pawtucket Jobs in Question
Pawtucket businesses that serve the Hasbro workforce should plan for lower demand once the January move to Boston takes effect.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Openings & Closings
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Pawtucket city leaders are demanding a public apology from Hasbro after CEO Chris Cocks criticized the city's dining options in an Oct. 21 WBUR interview. Hasbro, based in Pawtucket since the early 1960s, will relocate its headquarters to Boston in January, affecting roughly 600 local employees.
Why it matters
The dispute centers on Cocks' remarks that food orders arrive cold after about 40 minutes of travel and that the area lacks after-work activities, which city leaders said reduces Rhode Islanders' contributions to a punchline. The relocation makes the remarks a live issue for a city losing a major employer.
Hasbro has been headquartered in Pawtucket since the early 1960s, and nearly 600 local employees now face either long interstate commutes or job termination following the January move to Boston. The city's letter was hand-delivered by Mayor Donald Grebien and City Council President Terrence Mercer to Hasbro's board of directors.
The players
Hasbro
Hasbro is a major toy and game manufacturer whose headquarters has been in Pawtucket since the early 1960s and which is moving to Boston.
Chris Cocks
Chris Cocks is Hasbro's chief executive officer, whose comments about Pawtucket's dining options prompted the city's demand for an apology.
Donald Grebien
Donald Grebien is the mayor of Pawtucket, who co-signed the city's letter to Hasbro's board of directors.
Terrence Mercer
Terrence Mercer is president of the Pawtucket City Council, who hand-delivered the city's letter to Hasbro's board alongside Mayor Grebien.
The details
Cocks told WBUR that food orders usually arrive cold because they travel about 40 minutes, and he pointed to a lack of activities in the area when employees clock out. Pawtucket's letter calls those comments "condescending and dismissive" toward the community and requests a formal public apology from company executives. The dispute runs alongside Hasbro's decision to move its headquarters to the Seaport in Boston, which will reshape where its workforce commutes.
Timeline
Hasbro has been based in Pawtucket since the early 1960s.
Cocks made the dining remarks in an Oct. 21 WBUR interview.
City leaders delivered their letter to Hasbro's board last week.
Hasbro's headquarters relocation to Boston takes effect in January 2027.
As of Nov. 5, Pawtucket was still awaiting a response.
Market Landscape
Hasbro's move follows its long tenure as a Pawtucket anchor employer dating to the early 1960s. The dispute shows how an executive's remarks about a host city can become a public issue when a company is already relocating.
Operators in Pawtucket's supplier and service base should plan for reduced demand as roughly 600 Hasbro jobs move or end, affecting local dining, transit, and retail spending. Businesses that depend on the Hasbro workforce should model the change now, ahead of the January move.
The takeaway
Track the January 2027 relocation timeline, since it determines when local demand from the Hasbro workforce shifts. Watch whether Hasbro responds to the city's apology request, as that signals how the company intends to handle its remaining local relationships.
What happens next
Hasbro's headquarters relocation to Boston takes effect in January 2027, and the company's response to Pawtucket's apology request remains outstanding.
Further reading
For related coverage, see Openings & Closings in Pawtucket business news.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WPRI.
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