Pawtucket Demands Apology From Hasbro CEO
City leaders want Hasbro executives to apologize after CEO Chris Cocks criticized local dining options in an interview.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Openings & Closings
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Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien and City Council President Terrence Mercer hand-delivered a letter to Hasbro's board of directors demanding a formal public apology. The request follows remarks by Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks in an Oct. 21 WBUR interview about the city's food and after-hours options, as Hasbro prepares to move its headquarters to Boston in January.
Why it matters
The dispute highlights the friction between a company leaving its longtime home and the city it is departing, a situation that affects a local workforce of nearly 600 employees. The letter describes Cocks' comments as condescending and dismissive toward the community.
Cocks said food orders usually arrive cold after traveling about 40 minutes, and roughly 600 Hasbro employees in Pawtucket face either a long interstate commute or job loss. The company has been based in the city since the early 1960s, and no response to the city's apology request had been reported as of Nov. 5.
The players
Hasbro
Hasbro is a global toy and entertainment company that has been headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, since the early 1960s.
Chris Cocks
Chris Cocks is the chief executive officer of Hasbro whose interview remarks about Pawtucket's dining options prompted the city's demand for an apology.
Donald Grebien
Donald Grebien is the mayor of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, who co-signed the letter demanding an apology from Hasbro.
Terrence Mercer
Terrence Mercer is the president of the Pawtucket City Council who co-signed and hand-delivered the letter to Hasbro's board.
The details
Cocks said during an Oct. 21 sit-down conversation with WBUR that food orders usually arrive cold and pointed to a lack of activities for employees when they clock out. The city's letter, delivered last week, asks company executives for a formal public apology.
Timeline
Early 1960s: Hasbro began its long-standing base in Pawtucket.
Oct. 21: Cocks made the dining remarks in a WBUR interview.
Last week: Mayor Grebien and Council President Mercer delivered the letter to Hasbro's board.
Jan. 2027: Hasbro's headquarters relocation to Boston is scheduled to take effect.
Nov. 5: Pawtucket had still not received a response from Hasbro.
Market Landscape
Hasbro has anchored its corporate operations in Pawtucket since the early 1960s, making the planned January move to Boston a significant break from a six-decade local presence. The relocation shifts a major employer out of a Rhode Island city and into the Seaport district, where the company will house its new headquarters.
Roughly 600 Pawtucket-area Hasbro employees must decide whether to take on long interstate commutes to Boston or leave their jobs. The city's push for an apology reflects broader local concern about how the company's departure will affect the surrounding community.
The takeaway
Local employees and residents should watch for Hasbro's response to the city's apology request and for details on how the January relocation will affect Pawtucket workers.
What happens next
Hasbro's headquarters relocation to Boston is scheduled for January 2027, and the company has not yet responded to the city's apology request.
Further reading
Follow the latest local business shifts in Pawtucket Openings & Closings as the city responds to Hasbro's planned departure.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WPRI.
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