Williamstown Pizza Shop Closed by Department of Revenue
 The new owner of Colonial Pizza is hoping the restaurant will be able to reopen soon. |
The pizza shop in Main Street's Colonial Plaza was closed last Thursday when its equipment was seized by the state Department of Revneue because taxes not paid by the shop's former proprietor, Constantine Anagnos, according to Steven Peltier.
"I was technically leasing with an option to buy," Peltier said of his business relationship with Anagnos. "Constantine still owns it."
On Thursday, the commonwealth shut down the operation with a sign reading, "The personal property of Constantine Anagnos [doing business as] Colonial Pizza has been seized for nonpayment of taxes, and is now in the possession of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts."
A member of the Anagnos family said over the weekend that the family is working to get a payment plan in place with the state.
The Anagnos family does not dispute the amount owed and is "working through this but we are unsure of what the future holds," Constantine's son, Theodore, wrote in an email seeking comment.
"Until they can figure out what's going on with them, I'm in limbo," Peltier said Friday morning. "The Department of Revenue is supposed to be meeting me at 11 so I can turn off the ovens completely and pull whatever food has spoiled or might spoil.
"My intent is to reopen as soon as possible. But I'm kind of in a holding pattern for a few more days."
Peltier, who characterized himself as a family friend of the Anagnos family when he took over the business in February, said it has been a difficult week.
"The biggest thing for me is I have staff members out of work, and I can't promise them jobs," he said.
It also hurt that the closure came on the eve of Williams College's alumni weekend, not to mention the busy summer tourist season.
"I'm losing revenue," Peltier said. "I have debts for food that was delivered the day before [the closure]. I had quite a few pre-orders that we couldn't fill last weekend. That doesn't look good for PR."
Peltier said members of the community have expressed their concern and support for the shop since the closure. And he was able to exhibit a little gallows humor about the situation on Friday.
"Some people were telling me I had to take some time off between running the restaurant and my full-time job," Peltier said. "But I don't think this is what they meant."
Tags: delinquent taxes, DOR, pizza,
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