North Adams entrepreneur lands in hot dog heaven

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George Capek decided it was time for a change. He ended up in the Dog House. "After 15 years of working retail", Capek says, "I wanted to do something different. This business seemed, in my mind, to have a good possibility of staying power here in the community." Capek opened the Dog House eatery on Ashland Street in North Adams in early January. Both George and his wife Gina run the business. Located at the site of the former Greylock Bagel Co., the Dog House is brand new to North Adams. So why hot dogs? It's all about knowing your customers, Capek says. "I figured college kids and the surrounding community would be my target customers. In this area of town there are not many eateries at all." Top dog Having lived in North Adams for over seven years, Capek knows the area well and knows what sells. A native of Long Island, he lived in Beverly MA for a while before arriving in Berkshire County. After leaving retail, Capek knew he wanted to be his own boss. "When I left Ames [department store], I looked as far as North Carolina for work, he recalls. "When things did not work out, I had my family to think about. I have three kids, one with special needs, so it was time to look at Plan B. So, I thought about running my own business." His "Plan B" was a restaurant, styled to have a small diner feel. A gray bar-style countertop occupies the front half of the building, while some tables and chairs are set to ward the back. Red cushioned stools sit in front of the countertop. George knew exactly how he wanted the place to look. Casual atmosphere "I would definitely say this is causal dining," he says. "I want that diner feel. I am hoping to bring in more items soon, to keep that atmosphere." The stools are actually recycled from the Sugar Bowl in Pittsfield. When that restaurant closed down, George went by to see what he could find for the Dog House. "Originally, I was going to put in a bench," he said. "When I saw an ad in the paper for items from the Sugar Bowl, I went over there. I ended up buying the stools instead, because I knew they would fit perfectly." Besides atmosphere, it's the food that draws the customers. The Dog House fast food menu features hot dogs, chili cheese fries, baked beans, soup, and nachos. One item is a product of Capek's own creative genius - the Burger Dog "The burger dog is based on an idea that a friend and I had," he explained. "I wanted to create a hamburger that would fit in a hot dog roll. Simple, as that." So what's his personal favorite? "A hot dog with mustard and sauerkraut," Capek confides. Overall, Capek enjoys owning a business in North Adams. "It's not easy, but I enjoy it." He added, "For one, I am a people person, and two, I enjoy walking to work." To others wanting to open their own business, Capek gives this advice, "Do it. It's a lot of long hours and hard work, but there is nothing like working for yourself." The Dog House is open Tuesday-Sunday from 11 a.m- 10 p.m.
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Companion Corner Grey Boy at No Paws Left Behind

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — There's a cat No Paws Left Behind still waiting for his forever home.

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home. He was previously highlighted but he now has new information.

Grey Boy is 10 years old and is a gray and white domestic shorthair and was previously highlighted on Companion Corner.

The shelter's Executive Director Noelle Howland introduced us to him and his long journey to be ready for adoption.

"He's been here a couple months. He was a transfer from a rescue in Bennington. They were out of space, so we had taken him in with a few other cats. So he's been here a couple months. He came in with what we believed was a respiratory infection," she said. "So it took us a little bit to get him ready, and then he also needed a dental. So he has nice, clean teeth. He had some teeth removed, and then he has to go back in and have one more dental. So he'll be all ready to go."

It was previously thought that he has feline herpes but he was recently diagnosed with a palette fracture because of how bad his dental disease was, which is what is causing his sneezing. He can now go home with cats, a cat-savvy dog and children.

"He has had two dentals since being with us. Due to the palate fracture he will be sneezy for the rest of his life, not contagious sneezing, but that doesn’t stop him from living a perfectly happy life. He should be on wet food with chunks due to this and since he has had many teeth removed," Howland said.

Grey Boy loves to play with toys and enjoy treats. He would also love to have a window to lounge or bird-watch in.

"He is not afraid of anything. He's very curious, so I'm sure he'd love if you have windows for him to look out of. He still plays, even though he's 10 it does not stop him. So any home would be a good fit for him."

Now that he is ready to be adopted, he is excited. When you walk into the room with him he will rub up against your leg introducing himself and asking to be pet.

"Usually, I would say, when you're walking, he'll bonk into you so he might catch you off guard a little bit. He constantly is rubbing against you," Howland said. "He really, I would say he's lazy when you want him to be, and he's active when you want him to be. He'll play with toys. He's usually lounging away. And then when he comes out he'll play. He loves it. So, very friendly, easy going cat."

He is now perfectly healthy with his dentals all done and veterinary care up to date and is ready to find his forever family.

"I would say the friendliest, easiest cat you could have. He's just, he's just gonna be a little sneezy sometimes, but that doesn't stop him from doing anything," she said.

Grey Boy's adoption fee is sponsored by Rooted in Balance Counseling LLC.

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