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The owners of Thistle & Mirth on West Street are hoping to raise $8,000 from patrons to turn the bar into a pizzeria with 'safe closing hours.'

Thistle & Mirth Turns to Patrons for Help With Pizza Rebranding

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The owners of Thistle and Mirth are fundraising to rebrand to the bar's "nerdy and artsy roots" with the addition of pizza.

An Indiegogo has been launched to raise funds for the revision, rebranding, and reopening of the establishment after a stabbing on Thanksgiving Eve closed its doors. The plan is to reduce the footprint to the "old Mirth," install a pizza oven, emphasize games and artsy community events, focus on well-curated craft beer, and have earlier hours.

"After 13 years, we don't want to give up so easily," owners Joad Bowman and Austin Oliver wrote on social media.

The fundraiser aims to collect $8,000 to support the effort and has raised more than $3,800 so far. The owners have been deep cleaning, repairing, and painting the former bar and ramen restaurant.

"As many of you know we had a violent incident invade our space on November 23, and we made the decision to close our doors due to the rise in criminal activity in Pittsfield nightlife," the fundraiser reads.

"For us, the expansion that COVID forced on us had already taken a toll on our spirits, and the wallets. But we were making progress and had come almost out of the deep end. Until the incident."


Over the following week, Bowman and Oliver decided they could not cut ties with Pittsfield that easily and would try to move past this with a transformed space for the people who have supported Thistle and Mirth in its 13 years of operation.

Last week, Thistle and Mirth's ramen menu was moved to sister eatery Lulu's Tiny Grocery. Lulu's, located inside Crawford Square on North Street, was opened as a breakfast and lunch spot last year.

"Mirth will rise again, but we can't do it alone," the two wrote. "It is only with great reluctance that we are using this channel for fundraising, and are only doing it because of the tremendous circumstances and because we are attaching perks and rewards for those who would like them."

Closing on the busiest day of the year and the time following has reportedly "decimated" the restaurant's accounts and brought them to the brink.  

"We are returning to our nerdy and artsy roots: board games, communal events, safe closing hours….a pizza party!" they wrote.

The fundraiser has multiple levels of giving for larger donations that include a menu item in your name, a keychain, or even a pizza party around the donor's birthday.


Tags: bars, taverns,   business changes,   pizza,   restaurants,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

PHS Air and Water Quality Within Accepted Levels

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— Air and water quality testing at Pittsfield High School came back within acceptable levels, and the administration is open to additional testing. 

Last week, the School Committee accepted test results on the facility that has sat on East Street for nearly 100 years.  The report was done in collaboration with Atlas Technical Consultants and the Pittsfield Water Department. 

Readings were "acceptable" in all tested locations, and there are recommendations for monitoring humidity, replacing equipment, and additional air monitoring when needed.  Some retesting needed to be done, and a couple of sink faucets were removed in the process. 

"If you want every room sampled, we can do it," Mayor Peter Marchetti said in response to Ciara Batory's concerns about air sampling in only a handful of rooms. 

"This is the report that came back, and this report does not show that children are in danger."

Limited indoor air quality readings were done in rooms 102, 103, 104, and 116 on June 31.  Air quality testing was also done two years ago. 

Humidity levels were slightly above American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers guidelines in rooms 103 and 104; monitoring and dehumidification are recommended. 

The report says that mold spores captured in rooms 103 and 104 likely originated from an indoor source.  Custodial deep cleaning was done right before samples were taken, and a retest showed levels within an acceptable range. 

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