Pittsfield Chili's Looking for New Tenants
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Chili's Grill and Bar has closed up shop and is looking for a new business to carry out its lease.
Director of Northeast Operations Allen Anderson notified the Licensing Board of the intent on Monday, a month after a seemingly abrupt closure of the Berkshire Crossing location.
"It's a relatively new building. It's a great opportunity for anybody that is interested," he said during the meeting broadcasted by Pittsfield Community Television.
"I think it's a good, solid plan."
In mid-August, there were moving trucks outside the location instead of preparations for the lunch rush. It was first reported by PCTV on its Facebook page and a call to the restaurant was answered by an employee who said the eatery had no plans to reopen.
Anderson said Chili's is currently looking for a buyer and will renew the liquor license when it is due at the end of the year. The current lease agreement goes out to 2029 and the company, Pepper Dining Inc., is looking for another business to carry it out.
"We want to find a buyer as soon as possible," he explained. "I don't know if they have anything in the works."
The restaurant opened for business in 2018. There are currently 15 other Chili's in Massachusetts, according to a company map of the locations.
Chair Thomas Campoli explained that the company was brought before the board because it was understood that the location had closed. The board's interest is on the status of the liquor license.
In Pittsfield, if a liquor license is revoked it is not replenished.
Similarly, owners of the seemingly shuttered House of Seasoning on Seymour Street were brought before the board for this meeting. According to The Berkshire Eagle, the African restaurant closed in March after a dispute with the landlord, and News 10 ABC reported in April that it would be moving to Troy, N.Y.
The city is trying to get in touch with the owners so that the liquor license can be transferred. They have been contacted by certified mail to three different addresses and all came back as "could not forward."
"Under Massachusetts law, if an entity ceases operation for a somewhat extended period of time, then we are obligated at some point to initiate a process to cancel their license," Campoli explained.
"I don't think that we're close to doing that in this particular case."
Attorney William Martin, who was there for another agenda item, disclosed that he had previously represented the owners and could try to get in touch with them.
Tags: license board, restaurants,
