Pittsfield Hot Dog Ranch Eyes Move To Former Jimmy's Restaurant

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
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The Licensing Board approved the transfer to the owners of the Hot Dog Ranch on Monday.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Hot Dog Ranch is looking to move into the former Jimmy's Restaurant location on West Housatonic Street.
 
The Licensing Board approved the transfer of a liquor  license to DBM Ranch Inc. on Monday and the owners are hoping to relocate the Hot Dog Ranch from its Linden Street location to the vacant restaurant. The company bought the liquor license at auction.
 
"We are currently under contract to sell the building," said attorney Thomas Martin, who represented the Hot Dog Ranch at Monday's meeting. "The Hot Dog Ranch would relocate to West Housatonic Street."
 
The building has a total occupancy of 99 people and the plans would be to serve 35 people at the bar and 52 in the dining area. The rest of the occupancy would be for staff and take out orders. 
 
"We're also constructing a new main entrance way," Martin said. 
 
Should the Linden Street property sale fall through, Martin said the owners would continue to operate the Hot Dog Ranch at its current location and open a new restaurant — not a Hot Dog Ranch — in the West Housatonic Street building. Jimmy's closed in March.
 
The Hot Dog Ranch currently has two locations — the Linden Street one and one in North Adams. Martin said the company secured funding to consolidate the loans existing for those two businesses and then purchase and build out the new 3,800 square-foot location. 
 
The liquor license was approved to extend until 2 a.m. but the business only plans to stay open that late on special events. Mostly the restaurant will be open until 10 during the week and 11 on the weekends. The new restaurant wouldn't open until February 2016, Martin said.
 
"We're not going to be open until 2 a.m. every night," Martin said.
 
There was some debate, however, on whether or not the Licensing Board could approve the later hour when the business isn't going to be open. Chairman Carman Massimino said if the license is approved until 2 a.m. then the restaurant needs to be able to serve customers until that late. Board members Dana Doyle and Richard Stockwell disagreed saying they business can have the option to stay open or close.
 
"Constantly changing hours, I think, is an inconvenience," Massimino said, adding that it isn't good business practice to close earlier than customers expect.
 
Martin, however, said the hours will not be constantly changing but instead when there are special events, such as the Super Bowl or New Year's Eve, the company would like the ability to choose to stay open late. 
 
Ultimately, the license was approved until 2 a.m.

Tags: new business,   alcohol license,   hot dogs,   license board,   liquor license,   

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North Adams Regional Reopens With Ribbon-Cutting Celebration

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

BHS President and CEO Darlene Rodowicz welcomes the gathering to the celebration of the hospital's reopening 10 years to the day it closed. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The joyful celebration on Thursday at North Adams Regional Hospital was a far cry from the scene 10 years ago when protests and tears marked the facility's closing
 
Hospital officials, local leaders, medical staff, residents and elected officials gathered under a tent on the campus to mark the efforts over the past decade to restore NARH and cut the ribbon officially reopening the 136-year-old medical center. 
 
"This hospital under previous ownership closed its doors. It was a day that was full of tears, anger and fear in the Northern Berkshire community about where and how residents would be able to receive what should be a fundamental right for everyone — access to health care," said Darlene Rodowicz, president and CEO of Berkshire Health Systems. 
 
"Today the historic opportunity to enhance the health and wellness of Northern Berkshire community is here. And we've been waiting for this moment for 10 years. It is the key to keeping in line with our strategic plan which is to increase access and support coordinated county wide system of care." 
 
Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, under the BHS umbrella, purchased the campus and affiliated systems when Northern Berkshire Healthcare declared bankruptcy and closed on March 28, 2014. NBH had been beset by falling admissions, reductions in Medicare and Medicaid payments, and investments that had gone sour leaving it more than $30 million in debt. 
 
BMC was able to reopen the ER as an emergency satellite facility and slowly restored and enhanced medical services including outpatient surgery, imaging, dialysis, pharmacy and physician services. 
 
But it would take a slight tweak in the U.S. Health and Human Services' regulations — thank to U.S. Rep. Richie Neal — to bring back inpatient beds and resurrect North Adams Regional Hospital 
 
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