The Ranch Opens in North Adams With New Owners, New Offerings

The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner daily and has a full bar.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Ranch is doing well after opening at the end of January, according to owner John-Michael Bradbury.

Bradbury purchased the 310 State St. restaurant, previously known as the Hot Dog Ranch, last August with the help of business partners Mitchell Bresett, Christopher St. Cyr and Jason Koperniak, reopening the doors on Jan. 27. Bradbury said business has been good so far, noting the restaurant has consistently been near capacity, especially during the Super Bowl on Sunday.

"We've been pretty busy. It's been steady. Even on the slow days, it's been steady," Bradbury said. "Definitely a lunch place. A lot of people during the week come here for lunch." 

While the menu and much of the staff have changed under the new ownership, Bradbury said he wanted to keep most of the restaurant intact. He said he's seen several regulars come back since the reopening. 

"We weren't trying to change anything," he said. "We change the menu around a little bit but, as far as the atmosphere, there's no reason to change anything. It was working before." 

One significant difference, according to Bradbury, is the kitchen is using more fresh food and making more things from scratch. Other requested items such as wraps and sandwiches have been added, which Bradbury said have been popular picks among customers. 

"[The previous owner] had seven freezers here. We use three of them now," he said. "The fried foods, the frozen foods; we're not doing as much. There's more fresh stuff." 

Bradbury said community feedback has been good so far. He said all the feedback he has gotten so far, both in person and on social media, has been positive. 

"Everyone was patient when we first opened up. And now everything is really smooth. We got people in place that know what they're doing," he said. 

While he has some experience working in a restaurant, Bradbury said this is his first time owning one. He credited Mark Mills, manager at the Pittsfield Hot Dog Ranch, his staff and several others for helping with the transition. 

"It's not really like [Mark Mills] is a competitor because they're down in Pittsfield. It's the Hot Dog Ranch and the old owners he works for," he said. "He still has no problems giving me advice and all that good stuff. I've known him my whole life. I give him a call and I don't know something; I can't figure something out and he's there in seconds." 

One challenge for the restaurant so far has been supply-chain-related issues, with the restaurant running out of hot dogs at one point during the first week after reopening. Bradbury said it is an issue they have been trying to keep an eye on. 

"When the supply is there, you just order as much as you possibly can so you don't run out," he said. "We're working with multiple distributors now. And whatever one can get us our products, that's what we go with." 

Bradbury said one thing he hopes to do soon is coordinate and work with other local businesses. He said foot traffic from downtown should be much more significant once the winter weather subsides. 

"When it's negative degrees outside, who the heck wants to go outside, get their cars and come here? Most people want to stay inside," he said. 

The Ranch is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.

Cost, Access to NBCTC High Among Concerns North Berkshire Residents

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
06:15PM / Thursday, April 25, 2024

Adams Select Chair Christine Hoyt, NBCTC Executive Director David Fabiano and William Solomon, the attorney representing the four communities, talk after the session. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Public access channels should be supported and made more available to the public — and not be subject to a charge.

 

More than three dozen community members in-person and online attended the public hearing  Wednesday on public access and service from Spectrum/Charter Communications. The session at City Hall was held for residents in Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg and North Adams to express their concerns to Spectrum ahead of another 10-year contract that starts in October.

 

Listening via Zoom but not speaking was Jennifer Young, director state government affairs at Charter.

 

One speaker after another conveyed how critical local access television is to the community and emphasized the need for affordable and reliable services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly. 

 

"I don't know if everybody else feels the same way but they have a monopoly," said Clarksburg resident David Emery. "They control everything we do because there's nobody else to go to. You're stuck with with them."

 

Public access television, like the 30-year-old Northern Berkshire Community Television, is funded by cable television companies through franchise fees, member fees, grants and contributions.

 

Spectrum is the only cable provider in the region and while residents can shift to satellite providers or streaming, Northern Berkshire Community Television is not available on those alternatives and they may not be easy for some to navigate. For instance, the Spectrum app is available on smart televisions but it doesn't include PEG, the public, educational and governmental channels provided by NBCTC.