The building that housed the former Bobby Mac’s restaurant in Lenox could be home to the Antimony brewpub this fall if the Zoning Board of Appeals signs off on the project.
Restaurateur Rob Trask, owner of 51 Park in Lee, is hoping to open a brewpub in Lenox Commons at the site of the former Bobby Mac's restaurant. “A brewpub would be extremely welcomed in the Berkshires and the town of Lenox,” he said.
The building that housed the former Bobby Mac’s restaurant in Lenox could be home to the Antimony brewpub this fall if the Zoning Board of Appeals signs off on the project.
LENOX — It’s back, but at a new and more favorable location.
Lee restaurateur Robert Trask’s vision for a Lenox brewpub to be named Antimony, originally proposed for a wooded parcel off Pittsfield Road (Route 7/20), now centers on the long-vacant restaurant building at the entrance of Lenox Commons.
Through his real estate company, Brewha LLC, Trask is seeking Zoning Board of Appeals approval to site his project in the building owned by Berkshire hotel entrepreneur Navin Shah. The location has ample, available parking and a traffic signal controlling access to the development. Shah is now holding a purchase-and-sale agreement from Trask, pending a green light from the ZBA.
The location hosted the Lenox House restaurant from 1964 to 2002, followed by short-lived eateries ending with Bobby Mac’s, which closed four years ago. The building had been vacant since, as proposals for a recreational marijuana business and, more recently, a veterinary service, fell by the wayside.
Restaurateur Rob Trask, owner of 51 Park in Lee, is hoping to open a brewpub in Lenox Commons at the site of the former Bobby Mac's restaurant. “A brewpub would be extremely welcomed in the Berkshires and the town of Lenox,” he said.
In January, Trask, who has owned the popular 51 Park Restaurant & Tavern in downtown Lee for 18 years, withdrew his application to build the brewpub on the woodlands opposite Lime Kiln Road.
“A brewpub would be extremely welcomed in the Berkshires and the town of Lenox,” Trask told The Eagle on Tuesday. “It’s growing exponentially nationwide as people visit brewpubs, but the Berkshires have not seen a lot of that growth in the industry.”
He acknowledged that the original vision included “a lot more scenic, outdoor area” but the Lenox Commons location is a “much easier, turnkey renovation that we could bring to life much sooner. To pull something like that out of disrepair for the town and the public is a good opportunity.”
The restaurant site at the entrance of 55 Pittsfield Road (Route 7/20) has had many incarnations in recent years:
1964: Lenox House Restaurant opens; part of the Lenox House Country Shops.
2002: The restaurant closes, and the site remains vacant for four years.
2006: Property owner Navin Shah rebuilds it for the Bennigan's restaurant chain.
April 2009: Bennigan's closes, and the site reopens two months later as the Berkshire Harvest Restaurant.
March 2010: Berkshire Harvest closes; three months later, Tex-Mex restaurant opens.
Summer 2012: After the demise of Tex-Mex, Jae's Asian Bistro opens.
Summer 2017: Jae's closes, relocating to Pittsfield.
November 2017: Bobby Mac's opens, serving casual American "comfort food."
May 2019: Building owner Shah proposes a retail marijuana business, but opposition from nearby condo owners quashes the plan in September 2020.
August 2021: South Street Veterinary Services submits application to the zoning board to transfer its Pittsfield clinic to thesite, only to withdraw the application, without explanation, in October.
March 2022: Lee restaurant proprietor Robert Trask submits application to the ZBA to locate his proposed brewpub in the former restaurant building.
Trask, 48, who grew up in Lee and lives in West Stockbridge, anticipates opening next fall or winter if the zoning board approves his proposal. He declined to project the cost of acquiring the building and renovating the interior. “We’re kind of at a preliminary stage and there’s a lot of work still to be done,” he said.
But Trask said he has met with the Lenox Woods Homeowners Association, representing the condo owners in the back section of the complex. “There was very positive feedback,” he said.
The zoning board will discuss the project during its meeting at 7 p.m. April 6 in Town Hall. Comments may be submitted by email to landuse@townoflenox.com. The complete petition is available at the town clerk’s office on weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and is posted on the town’s website.
Trask cited “a misconception that it would be much different than a restaurant. It’s really just a restaurant with equipment to produce something — just like a kitchen produces food, this produces beverages. They were very receptive, they understood and they actually look forward to having an amenity so close to their complex.”
Antimony would operate seven days a week year-round, serving lunch and dinner and offering live entertainment, not only music but also spoken-word performances and small theater groups. “I think there’s a need for more entertainment options in the Berkshires,” Trask said.
The name plays off his 51 Park restaurant, since Antimony is the 51st element on the periodic table of chemical elements, he said, reflecting his background in chemical engineering.
Trask voiced optimism that the zoning board would be receptive to his proposal, since the location is one that “many would like to see revived.” Operating the two restaurants would hinge on “finding the right team and the right management, something that can be easily handled,” he said. The business is expected to employ 20 full-time and 10 part-time people.
Key points in the application include:
• Antimony would include 150 indoor and 80 seasonal outdoor seats, offering a casual dining menu and a full bar.
• “The production of beer on site would provide a central theme to the customer experience,” the application states.
• The project would utilize the current kitchen, but would renovate the interior dining space to alter the layout and incorporate the brewing equipment. Two existing outdoor patio dining areas would be restored for additional seasonal seating.
• The brewery also would supply beer to the 51 Park Restaurant.
• There are no plans to distribute beer to other restaurants or package stores, since the facility lacks the capacity or intent to be a large wholesale production facility.
Clarence Fanto can be reached at cfanto@yahoo.com and on Twitter @BE_cfanto.
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