PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Licensing Board approved a change of manager for Mission Restaurant and allowed the International House of Tacos to hold onto its alcohol permit for a few more months.
The Licensing held a quick meeting Monday with only two real agenda items to consider.
The board first heard from attorney Jesse Cook-Dubin, representing Mission LLC, who asked to transfer management to longtime employee Greer Hed.
"Hed has been working in the hospitality industry for the last five years and has served in a variety of capacities in both the entertainment field and restaurant field," he said. "For the past two years, she has been working at Mission."
In late 2018, Mission was sold and In January of this year Mission representatives came before the board to request a transfer of an all-alcohol license from the former Lach's Lounge.
Hed said currently Mission is closed for interior painting but should reopen at the end of the week.
Chairman Thomas Campoli noted that Mission is scheduled to come before the board again for an outdoor dining permit.
In other businesses, the board let International House of Tacos hold on to its beer and wine license until at least October providing owner Huy Van Huynh time to sell or possibly reopen.
Van Huynh said he closed his West Housatonic eatery after his family contracted COVID-19 after returning from Florida.
"They tested positive for COVID then I got it," he said. "I basically had enough so I put the restaurant up for sale."
Van Huynh asked to be able to hold onto his license until the end of the year to pursue selling the restaurants or possibly reopening
"I might reopen I might not but the place is for sale," he said. "I just need a few months to clear my head and we will go from there."
Typically if a license is not in use, licensing authorities are quick to recall it. However, the licensing board felt Van Huynh had a reasonable request.
"We are sorry for what you have been through and we wish you the best of luck," Campoli said. "I think this is a reasonable request."
The board did agree that an extension until the end of the year was too long and asked for an update in October.
