Spice Latest in String of Restaurant Closings

Staff reportsiBerkshires
04:05PM / Tuesday, March 18, 2008Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD - The popular Spice restaurant on North Street closed its doors on Monday, reportedly because of financial hardship.

A posting on the restaurant's Web site says it will be closed from March 16 to March 30 but The Berkshire Eagle is reporting that the upscale eatery will be shuttered indefinitely.

"Unfortunately, the present economic model is not particularly viable in Pittsfield," owner Joyce Bernstein told The Eagle on Tuesday. "And at this point, we have no other choice but to close and see if we can reconfigure [the restaurant] in a different way."

It was known that the owners had planned a budget and financial review at the end of February/beginning of March.

The restaurant was hailed as a symbol of the city's cultural reawakening and the rebirth of North Street and was a frequent gathering spot for political and community events.

Last November, it became the first Berkshire County business to receive an Award of Excellence from the 10-year-old Retailers Association of Massachusetts. It was nominated for the 2007 RAMAES for Restaurant of the Year by state Sen. Benjamin B. Downing, D-Pittsfield.

Burger, which Bernstein and business partner Larry Rosenthal opened in November adjacent Spice, will remain open with shortened hours for the next two weeks, The Eagle reported.

Bernstein launched Spice less than two years ago with partner Larry Rosenthal in the former Besse-Clark building at 297 North St., across from the YMCA. The building also houses the partners' other business, Link to Life. They bought the building 2002 for $270,000 and invested $6 million in it.

A number of North County eateries have closed because of financial woes over the past few years, including the Taconic Restaurant in Williamstown and Steeples, Gideon's and Milan at 55 in North Adams.

Milan is expected to reopen as The Hub under Kate and Matthew Schilling of Williamstown; the Holiday Inn is searching for a new owner for Steeples. Gideon's Fine Dining is now Taylor's Fine Dining and the former Gideon's Nightery on Eagle Street is being revamped by new owners.

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it's too bad...the owners put a lot of money into that place....oh and how dare anyone say we are in a recession....
from: ctrem	on: 03-18-2008 12:00AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

Who in their right mind would spend 6M dollars to open a restaurant in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The politicians will save the town!
from: HELLO!	on: 03-18-2008 12:00AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

I feel so much better - I only spent $1 million on my place. www.bloom-restaurant.com Whew thanks!
from: Wow	on: 03-18-2008 12:00AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

the money they spent helped pump millions into the local economy.....they had a vision....unfortunatley the only vision going on around here is lately is clouded by reality....
from: ctrem	on: 03-18-2008 12:00AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

the 6 million wasn't just on the one restaurant. there is also a reception hall, a burger place and a business. it was spent on the entire building not just spice.
from:	on: 03-18-2008 12:00AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

while the 6mil may have been invested in the entire building i'd say 2-3 mil went into the restaurant...banquet hall...burger....fries....what ever....spice was done right with state of the art and top quality materials....i've never been there, but i have been to the lantern....now there's a good burger....
from: ctrem	on: 03-18-2008 12:00AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

Let's see....$44 for a NY Strip Steak? $9.00 for mushrooms? Really, people? I'll take some fresh button mushrooms for $3.99, and a NY Strip for $19.99 from Dakota Restaurant, thankyouverymuch!
from: Shocking....? No.	on: 03-18-2008 12:00AM I Agree (1) - I Disagree (0)

In RE: to the "politicians will save the town".....more like WE will save the city, the TAXPAYERS....after all, it will probably come out of our tax dollars. And um, hey, did we EVER get out of that other debt that we had? Do you all recall lol? Now will we have ANOTHER one?! Whoever opened SPICE in the first place had a good concept unfortunately it was WAY too overpriced for it to work. I had a feeling that it wouldn't work. They say the first year a place is open is the toughest....it's where, they say, a place will sink or swim. Unfortunately, SPICE sank like the TITANIC. It was too big for its own good!
from: Caroline3572	on: 03-19-2008 12:00AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

I WOULD NOT CARE IF THEY WERE GIVING THE FOOD AWAY! AS LONG AS ALL THE DIRT BAGS ARE ALLOWED TO ROAM NORTH ST. AND INTIMIDATE THE PUBLIC, NOT TO MENTION THE SMELLY, FILTHY PARKING DECK, I WILL NEVER GO AND SPEND MY HARD EARNED MONEY ON NORTH ST. NOT NOW, NOT WHEN THERE IS A MOVIE THEATER...NEVER!!
from: DAVID	on: 03-20-2008 12:00AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

DId these people do any sort of market research?
from: Curious	on: 03-25-2008 12:00AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

If you really want to see crime and corruption ask the owners of Spice about the enormous tax breaks they have on the building and the intended failure of the restaurant to offset enormous income from other realestate investments, and the willingness of the city to give those tax breaks?????
from: insider	on: 06-18-2008 12:00AM I Agree (1) - I Disagree (0)

Lanesborough Town Meeting to Vote Budget, Bylaws & Vehicle Purchases

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
04:21PM / Monday, June 08, 2026

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Tuesday's annual town meeting includes a $14 million operating budget, new short-term rentals, accessory dwelling units and sign bylaws, and free cash article appropriations.

Voters will gather at Lanesborough Elementary School on June 9 at 6 p.m. to decide on 20 warrant articles.

The fiscal 2027 budget is up a little over 10 percent. Some of the main increases are the Mount Greylock Regional School District and McCann Technical School: the McCann assessment is up more than 30 percent based on factors including enrollment and the school renovation project, and Mount Greylock's is up 11 percent.

Article 11 is for the town to vote to approve from free cash the sum of $16,298.48 for the McCann Technical School roof and window replacement project so as not to impact the budget. Article 3 is appropriate $7,586,284 for Mount Greylock Regional School assessment.

Another notable increase was in life and health insurance, showing an increase of about 26 percent.

Ambulance Director Jen Weber is planning 24-hour coverage, which means more staff and a hike in her budget. One of the articles asks the town to appropriate $234,100 to operate the Ambulance Enterprise Fund for salaries and expenses.

Many town departments are looking for new vehicles. The Fire Department is looking to replace its outdated 1996 fire engine. There are two articles related to the truck at a total of $813,366. Article 12 would transfer $225,000 from free cash into the Fire Truck Stabilization Fund; Article 13 would transfer $605,000 from the fund and authorize the borrowing of $208,366.08.

The total includes a $100,000 contingency cost to cover any additional costs if a 2026 model-year chassis cannot be secured before new emissions standards go into effect in 2027.

The board at its last meeting moved the $225,000 transfer to come before the borrowing article, changing the stabilization number. If the $225,000 is not voted on, then they will amend the next article's number on the floor, subtracting the $225,000. This shows the borrowing number significantly lower.

Article 17 asks for the transfer of $80,000 from free cash to replace a police cruiser.

Police Chief Rob Derksen's aim is to replace one vehicle every other year, meaning the oldest vehicle gets replaced about every 10 years.

He stressed that if delayed this year, the town may have to double up in a future year to get back on schedule, and that paying later usually costs more. The article will ask for $80,000 from free cash, the vehicles used to be funded by the BHRD.

Lastly, the Highway Department is looking to replace a 2014 International dump truck that will be a total of $330,000 and will take two to three years to receive.

Money will be used from last year's approval of $250,000 from free cash for the replacement of a 2012 highway front-end loader that was underspent $49,261. Town meeting is being asked to approve a transfer of $53,274.85 from free cash and the use of $227,464 from funds from the Sale of Town Real Estate to fund the balance.

Other free cash proposals include $1,200 to purchase software to support tracking and ongoing maintenance schedules of town-owned vehicles; $42,000 for the replacement of the Highway Department's storage shed roof, $200,000 to reduce the tax levy.

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