image description

Adams' Firehouse Cafe Closes, But Owner Hopes Spirit Lives On

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
Print Story | Email Story
The Firehouse Cafe on Park Street has closed but owner William Kolis hopes it can still play a part in community gatherings and possibly be resurrected in the future

ADAMS, Mass. – Barely nine months after it opened, the Firehouse Cafe has closed its doors but will continue to live on in "spirit"

Owner William Kolis said although the cafe will no longer operate as a restaurant, he would still like it to be used by the town.

"Essentially what I am doing is putting it into a coma right now, and I am taking it down with the thought of using it for other purposes in the interim, but eventually reopening it sometime in the future," Kolis said. "It's still there in spirit if people want to use the facility, it's available."

The eatery announced on its closing on Sept. 22 on its now-deleted Facebook page.

Kolis said the restaurant was not financially sustainable. He said many things such as the Park Street construction, the closing of North Adams Regional Hospital, and the absence of the anticipated scenic railway affected the closing of the cafe.

"There is probably 10 different factors that kind of broke us, but it just became clear that we didn't have the right number of people coming in," he said. "Those who came in enjoyed it.

"It was great food, but it was just the number of people that we could get into the facility didn't match the cost of the restaurant's operation."

Kolis said he originally anticipated turning the building into a restaurant much later in its operation, but sped the process up because he felt there was opportunity.

The building was originally a fire station, was later used by the ambulance service and was renovated and operated as a restaurant twice before. Kolis, a Cleveland attorney and native of Adams, purchased the building in 2011.



Kolis said the cafe has acted as a "venue for discussion" and he hopes it can once again do that.

"It was a venue for discussion and change and that is the role I see it having as we go forward," he said. "Over the last couple of years, we have developed a group of people from the arts, development, and from general interest in seeing Adams make a comeback."

Kolis said conversations that started at the Firehouse Café led to things such as the 5 Hoosac St. Gallery and the efforts to revive the Topia Arts Center on Park Street.

He said even though the restaurant failed, it achieved everything he wanted it to. Residents need to support local restaurants and businesses, he said, if they want them to survive. The Facebook post announcing the closure, describes Adams as "a beautiful hidden gem in which we should all take pride. Responsibility for its future lies in all of our hands." It goes on to list other local restaurants to patronize.

Kolis said Park Street is "very fragile" and he urged residents to continue to support businesses so Adams can continue to develop and become a destination.

"We went into the battle, and we can't call it a victory, but we are walking out with our heads high," he said. "If we can be proactive, gather the forces together, and use creative thinking we will make it ... you will never hear me not talk about the possible things that lie in the future for Adams."


Tags: closure,   Park Street,   restaurants,   

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

Hoosac Valley High School is Moving and Shaking

There have been some major shifts within the Hoosac Valley Regional School District recently, all of which have focused on enhancing the student experience to make it a place where ALL students can find their path.
 
In 2023, Hoosac Valley High School was designated an Innovation Pathway School by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and has since restructured the Program of Studies, utilized creative scheduling, and expanded internship opportunities. Part of this transformation includes participating in a "Portrait of a Graduate" cohort alongside four other Berkshire County schools to determine a collective vision for student success, in partnership with the BARR Foundation.
 
The Innovation Pathways at HVHS are designed to give students coursework and experience in a specific high-demand industry, such as technology, engineering, healthcare, or life sciences. Currently, Biomedical Science & Healthcare and Environmental Studies have received official state IP designation. In addition to the IP designated pathways, HVHS offers programs in Engineering & Technology, Business & Entrepreneurship, Arts & Entertainment, Education, and Sports Medicine. The result is that students have an opportunity for a transformative experience – enabling them to build essential skills, gain awareness of future career opportunities, and make informed choices about post-secondary education in promising fields.
 
Principal Colleen Byrd notes, "What makes our program special is that entry into the Pathway of your choice allows a student to access Advanced Placement and dual enrollment college courses, as well as internships in the community to set them up for success after high school."
 
The Portrait of a Graduate initiative consists of a team of Hoosac educators and students who exemplify the essential skills, practices, and beliefs that define learning experiences across the district. They work to outline the competencies, values, skills, and knowledge that define our vision for student success – keeping in mind that not every student's pathway will look the same. The District's goal is to ensure that all students graduate as responsible people, prepared individuals, lifelong learners, global citizens, critical thinkers, and thoughtful communicators.
 
Another recent change district-wide in grades K-12 is the "Crew" culture. Teachers and students now have time each day to create positive connections and build authentic relationships with one another. Through Responsive Classroom at the elementary school and Crew at the middle and high schools, students and staff gather for 30 minutes each day to engage in meaningful experiences rooted in mutual and shared interests. 
The Crew block is a prioritized structure that allows staff to support all students socially, emotionally, and academically – anchoring them and promoting the Portrait of a Graduate competencies. Crew takes many forms at the high school, such as gardening, bird watching, yoga, and sports talk with visits to college games.
 
View Full Story

More Adams Stories