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Jose Reyes, left, and David Reyes outside the new RJ's Restaurant on First Street.
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The new eatery in the location of the former Rainbow Restaurant that closed during the pandemic.

RJ's Restaurant Opens in Former Rainbow in Pittsfield

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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The Reyes, cousins, have had a long career in the restaurant business. Jose Reyes also operates two restaurants in Connecticut and one in New York.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — After owning and operating a variety of eateries in Long Island, Jose Reyes has decided to start a new venture in Pittsfield.

RJ's Restaurant — located in the former Rainbow Restaurant on First Street — specializes in seafood, chops, and pasta in an elegant but approachable setting.

Reyes said he is excited to expand his offerings to the Berkshires. The restaurant opened last week and has gotten a positive response from the community, at some times filling up to capacity, he said.

"My background has been restaurants a long time," Reyes said. "I've been in the business on my own since 2005, I've been working on restaurant business experiences since 1995."  

He came up with the name "RJ's" by taking a letter from his first, last, and middle name, which is Solomon.

The operation is a joint family effort with Reyes managing the front of house and his cousin David Reyes running the kitchen.  

"He wanted to do something together and said, 'you have a good experience in the restaurant, and also he was like 'let's do something together,' he's been in the restaurant business for over 25 years," Reyes said about his cousin and head chef.

"Also he worked for a fine dining Italian restaurant in New York, that's how we put ideas together and we come up with these menus, and it seems like it's working, the people like what we're doing."

The menu includes classic Italian offerings such as mussels in spicy fra Diavolo marinara sauce, cold antipasto, and eggplant parmesan along with a variety of poultry, beef, and seafood dishes.

Reyes said they are especially focused on their seafood cuisine.



With a full pouring license, diners can order beer, wine, and liquor to go with their meals.

Like many restaurants across the country, Reyes currently has additional server and busser positions open. In a week or so, he plans to be fully staffed.   

Previously, he was the proprietor of many venues in Long Island but wanted to expand his operations outside of the big city.

Former tenant the Rainbow closed during the pandemic. Owners Luisa and John Economou had bought the operation from its original owners, the Sacchetti family, in 2013.

In addition to RJ's, Reyes also owns and operates Picante's Lakeville in Lakeville, Conn., Picante's Canaan in Canaan, Conn., and Picante's Chatham with partner Fernando Galicia Rivera in Chatham N.Y.

RJ's also offers catering and to-go ordering. Reyes said they already have three catering events lined up and are anticipating adopting online ordering for customer's convenience.

"And we had somebody contact us for the holidays, there's a lot of work ahead of us and we want to make it happen," He added.

He also plans to offer live music in the future.

RJ's is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Monday is open for dinner only from 4 to 10.

To make an online reservation or view the menu visit www.rjs109.com/


Tags: new business,   restaurants,   

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ADOPTED! Companion Corner: Cali and Kyzer at Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

Great news, Kyzer and Cali found a home for Christmas already! Still looking for a new friend for the holidays? There are plenty of dogs and cats and small animals at Berkshire Humane who would love to go home with you.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a bonded dog pair awaiting a new family at the Berkshire Humane Society.

Kyzer and Cali are both poodles. Kyzer is the male and is 7 years old, a quite a bit bigger than his sister Cali, who is a miniature of Kyzer and 8 years old.

Canine adoption counselor Rhonda Cyr introduced us to the two.

"They came from a household that couldn't hold on to them, and it sounds like they may have been abandoned by their previous owner with somebody else, and so they came to us looking for a new home," she said.

The two love to be around you and snuggle. But both are very happy dogs.

"Kyzer is 7 years old, and his personality is that he kind of wants to be in everything. He's very loving, very snuggly, as you can tell. And Callie here, she's 8 years old, and she is kind of like the life of the party," said Cyr. "She wants to tell you everything about her day, and she's a little bit of a little ham."

The two are considered seniors and really like soft treats as Cali just had a few teeth removed and Kyzer has a tooth procedure coming up.

"Currently, they really like soft treats, because they are both on the senior side of things. So they have had some dental work, so they are really in need of something softer. They are not big chewers at this age, really, their main focus right now is just really socializing and cuddling," Cyr said.

The two would love a quiet home with someone who wants to snuggle. They shouldn't go to a home with bigger dogs but if you have a dog, you can bring them in for a visitation with the poodles to see if they will get along. Cats will be fine and the preference is for older and more responsible children so that the pups don't get hurt, as they are senior citizens.

"The perfect home for them would be a quiet home that's not too active. Like I said, they're very social, so they could handle some visitors," she said. "They're very friendly, but I don't think that they would really enjoy any other dogs in the home."

Poodles need to be regularly groomed, and the prospective adopter will have to keep an eye on their health. Kyzer has a heart murmur that needs to be monitored. This doesn't mean he is in bad health, as he could live a perfectly normal life, but he will need to be checked by a veterinary specialist routinely.

"Ideally, he would go to a home that could provide further health care with a specialist in cardiac care. And you know, he could very well live out the rest of his life comfortably and happy," Cyr said. "We just don't have all that information at the moment, but I think that you know the way he's going right now. He's got a good spirit, and he seems to be pretty happy."

The shelter is hoping the to get them a home for the holidays.

"We would love to get them a home in time for the holidays. They've been here since the eighth of November, and they're really, really looking as much as the staff loves them here, we're really looking to get them into a home and somewhere nice and cozy so they can spend the rest of their life together," she said.

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