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The owner of The Lantern's location is reportedly in negotiations with a new tenant. The historic eatery closed in April.

The Lantern Owners Seeking New Tenants

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Lantern Bar and Grill owners are looking into the historic eatery's future after it closed in April.

On Monday, Licensing Board approved an alcohol license transfer from previous owner North Street Eats LLC to 449 North RE LLC, a Mill Town Capital company that owns the real estate that includes The Lantern.

The intent is to find another tenant and it was reported that there is potential tenant in negotiations.

"Its role up to this point has been that of landlord and lender to the owner of North Street Eats LLC doing businesses as The Lantern," attorney Michael Macdonald explained on behalf of the applicant.

"There is in the application package a termination agreement, the tenant went out of business back in April, (499 North) and the tenant agreed to a termination agreement pursuant to which the liquor license and the personal property inside of the premises which have previously been sold by (449 North) to the tenant is now all coming back in satisfaction of the debt."

Jeremy Berlin was appointed as the manager. He is a chef with experience in managing Blantyre in Lenox, The Gateways in Lenox, and the now-shuttered Mission Bar and Tapas.

Former owner Bjorn Somlo brought The Lantern back to life in 2019 after the previous owner Mark Papas closed it in 2017. The eatery has been at the corner of North Street and Linden Street since the 1920s.

Somlo cited a decline in business that was exacerbated by the pandemic.



Macdonald pointed out that an additional liquor license transfer would be required if the restaurant were leased or sold. There is no timeline established yet.

"Good luck with that," Chairman Thomas Campoli said. "It's a great spot."

The board also approved a license transfer from J. Allen's Clubhouse Grille to the Rusty Anchor, which is situated on Pontoosuc Lake.  

Rusty Anchor owner Scott Graves would like to expand the offerings of the marina and private club.  With this approval, he will be giving up the former seasonal beer and wine license for a full liquor license.

The establishment will remain the same, operating typically from April to October. Graves applied for the annual license because it was the best opportunity available.

Campoli said he hates to see a waste of an annual license but board member Richard Stockwell said that he would rather the license stay in the city than go "back to Boston," as it was standing dormant for some time.

There was some question if the license must indicate that the Rusty Anchor is a private club, which the board is going to check with the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission on.


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Former Country Club Reopens as The Venue at Skyline

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

The new Patty Barnaby's name is all over the venue. 

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — A new but familiar space is opening for event rentals as The Venue at Skyline.

Patty Barnaby recently leased the former Skyline Country Club building at 405 South Main St. Barnaby used to attend events there, including holding her own "Jack and Jill" wedding shower.

"I've been to the golf tournaments. We've been to fundraisers. We've been to benefits. Actually, sports banquets for our girls, my oldest daughter. We had quite a few of her sports banquets here, just town events, truly, but our Jack and Jill was here," she said. "I had my stepfather's retirement party here, so, we've had a lot of events here as a family."

The golf course closed in 2021 after 58 years and sold to Mill Town Capital, which is using the course for a solar installation. The town's eyed the driving range for a new police station, and the club has been used intermittently, such as for the town's winter festival last year.

Barnaby is active in the community, including serving on the Lanesborough Community Development Committee. She enjoys hosting events and having get-togethers.

"I just have always loved to bring people together, like at our house, doing parties. And our house is very small, so it's always a big summer party," she said.

Barnaby wanted a place for people to host events that may be too big or busy for their homes, but also in an open and beautiful area.

"We need a space like this, not only in Lanesborough, for Lanesborough residents, but in general, for people to be able to come and have events, whether it be inside or outside when the weather permits," sshe said. "It's a beautiful spot, it really, truly is. And I didn't want to see it sit because it really is one of those staples in our town that everybody just knows."

Barnaby had indicated interest in the space after the Winter Festival. She signed the lease on Oct. 31 and has worked hard to make it her own.

She's painted, added new seating, redone the bathrooms, and some other cosmetics upgrades. She also added six televisions, more bar equipment, and will be adding a jukebox.

Barnaby kept the name Skyline because of the location's history and just added "The Venue" to make it her own.

"I just love this space. It is just one of those spaces that, like you don't want to see ever sit," she said.

The former pro shop will be turned into a thrift store. She currently sells clothes out of her house and hosting pop-up thrift events but is now excited to have a permanent space. It will have hours outside of events and will be listed on her social media page once it is ready. 

Barnaby is asking that vendors should reach out so that she can compile a list for those who want to host events. She is also looking for a food vendor to sublease the space.

"I would love to have people reach out to me as I have reached out to them, to be put on a list of like vendors that we can suggest to people that are coming up for events," she said.

Barnaby said she'll help with planning at the location and that she wants to create a comfortable and joyous environment that people would like to come back to.

"It's family friendly, like I am very community-oriented and being very family oriented, so I understand when you're trying to plan a birthday party, or you just need a space, or you're trying to put little details together. I want to be able to help with that," she said.

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