5.29.11
This is an Archival Site
There is now a new Rogovoy Report home
5.18.11
Weekend Preview May 19-24
Bob Dylan tributes, Deborah Voigt, Tom Paxton, Bill Kirchen, John Kirk and Trish Miller
5.18.11
Celebrating Bob Dylan's 70th Birthday in Style
Paying tribute to the greatest rock songwriter ever
5.17.11
FILM REVIEW: In a Better World and Of Gods and Men
Review by Seth Rogovoy
5.17.11
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5.12.11
Deborah Voigt Headlines Mahaiwe Gala
Opera star to sing arias, show tunes on Saturday, May 21
5.15.11
Famed Spiritual Teacher to Speak on Nonviolence
Mother Maya in free talk at Sruti Yoga in Great Barrington, Mass., on Friday May 20 at 7pm
5.12.11
Special Effects Wizard to Be Honored by Film Festival
Doug Trumbull to be Feted by BIFF
5.11.11
Weekend Preview May 12-16
Cultural Highlights of the Berkshire Weekend
6.4.09
Talk about a small world
Elaine and I grew up together, but only just recently met....
5.8.11
Berkshire Living to Cease Publication
A Farewell from Publisher Michael Zivyak
5.8.11
twiGs Branches Out
Lenox boutique launches new e-tail site
5.8.11
[MUSIC REVIEW] Avalon Quartet in Close Encounters at Mahaiwe
Review by Seth Rogovoy
5.8.11
[MUSIC REVIEW] Avalon Quartet in Close Encounters at Mahaiwe
Review by Seth Rogovoy
5.7.11
[FILM REVIEW] Bill Cunningham New York
Review by Seth Rogovoy
5.7.11
[FILM REVIEW] Bill Cunningham New York
Review by Seth Rogovoy
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(Eagle Watch #7) Barbecue flameout, pt. 2
6.24.05
So the Berkshire Eagle finally caught up with the story in today's (June 24, 2005) paper, with the front-page story,
"'Pitt' Bar-B-Q now closed." The surprisingly brutal and honest story (Tim Farkas will undoubtedly be hearing from the Chamber of Commerce this morning) contains this astonishingly frank evaluation by reporter Jack Dew about the meaning of the restaurant's closing, terming it "a worrisome note of caution for Pittsfield...a reminder that these best-laid plans are not without risk." A far cry from the Eagle's usual cheerleader-like stand on all-things Pittsfield.
Dew's good story also reveals that owner Jerome Hasenpflug not only shut down like a thief in the night, but apparently he skipped town ("People familiar with him and his business said he abruptly closed his doors last week and left town."
Dew also quotes the always colorul Seth Gambino (no relation to me or the Gambinos), owner of two failed businesses that predated Jerome the Pitt's in the same space. Gambino blames the failures in that cursed space on none other than the city of Pittsfield itself -- he says city government "nickeled and dimed" him to death, and the police department harrassed him and his customers.
"I don't think anything in that building can work," Gambino told the Eagle, referring to the much-vaunted Central Block, which is supposed to be a linchpin of downtown revival.
Dew digs even deeper and reveals that the much-vaunted Trattoria Rustica, also in the Central Block and which everyone points to as a signal success of Pittsfield's downtown revival (profiled in Berkshire Living's February Special Dining Issue), has yet to turn a profit.
Needless to say, all of this is rather ominous.
READ MORE
Dear Seth,
I’m sorry that you could not reach me before writing your articles on your web site. I was away from Pittsfield for a job interview, hoping to salvage some part of my life. I did not skip town like a thief in the night. I am now back in Pittsfield to continue shutting down the restaurant. I have not left town, I am still here to close the business as responsibly as I can, with the help of my accountants and attorneys.
Your article was sensitive and accurate about the risks of the restaurant business. My story was not that different from many other restaurants that have failed. The level of business that we did over the first five months could barely sustain our cash flow. In the end we ran out of money. I could have tried to extend my credit terms and become even more indebted to my creditors, but I felt there was no sense digging the hole any deeper. The writing was on the wall… I simply did not bring in enough customers to sustain the business, and I did not feel that the mantra of “wait until summer” justified keeping a dying business on life support.
I am truly grateful for all the help and assistance I received from Pittsfield officials, PERC, Downtown, Inc., and the great work of my contractors, vendors, musicians, and staff. Believe me when I say that more than anyone else, I wanted this restaurant to succeed here in Pittsfield. It was my life savings at risk after all. I had none of the tax breaks, low interest loans, or other support that some of Pittsfield's other projects received. I had the courage to open this restaurant, and I will have the courage to close it and face the public and my creditors. Should you have any further questions, you can reach me at the email address below.
Jerome F. Hasenpflug
164 Bartlett Avenue #4
Pittsfield, Massachusetts, 01201
hasenpflug@verizon.net
6/24/2005
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