PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Spot brought acai bowls — a super fruit smoothie that is topped with fruit, nuts, and other delights — to Pittsfield in 2018 and is now expanding with a second location on North Street.

 

The downtown branch will crank out juices and smoothies at 48 North St., the former Brooklyn's Best Italian Eatery. It is a 650-square-foot space that owner Jonathan Vella said he has always loved because "it is that tiny perfect little hole in the wall."  

 

Vella hopes to open the second location in a few weeks, just in time for warm weather and for people looking for refreshing, healthy ways to nourish themselves.

 

Having a location on North Street feels like being with the "big dogs," he said and will allow him to offer products to a whole new customer base.

 

"My sister, Jess [Ruffo], owns Dottie's and I used to work there for quite a bit of time, and when we opened [on Tyler] I expected there to be a lot of overlap because it's the same demographic," he said.

 

"I found that there wasn't really much at all, and I think a lot of it is that those people were downtown North-Streeters, or downtown Pittsfielders, that's where they all resided."

 

Vella and fellow entrepreneur Craig Hopkins opened The Spot at 381 Tyler St., a building that was soon painted bright green and adorned with graffiti art to match their vibe. The shop sells smoothies, acai bowls, house-pressed juices, and seasonal oatmeals as well as branded apparel and creations from local artists.

 

The Spot also created and manufactures Bear Butter: a nut spread made of almonds, cacao, coconut, goji berries, hemp seed, flaxseed, and vegan vanilla protein.

 

The original location on Tyler Street will be the "flagship" shop, Vella said and will be the primary home of the additional merchandise they sell while the North Street shop will be focused on the juice and smoothie side of the business.

 

Vella returned to the Berkshires at the start of the pandemic when his juice bar location in Bellaire Bluffs, Fla., closed. He was originally looking to build a mobile food cart until April when he found the space for rent on North Street.

 

"I saw the sign on the door and, you know, it all starts with a phone call," He said.

 

The Spot was able to sustain itself by offering curbside pickup during the thick of the pandemic. Having a small crew and not a lot of overhead reportedly also helped.

 

"We were lucky enough to be in a good position to sustain and, I guess, bunker down," Vella added.

 

The shop currently operates with three employees and when the second location opens, Vella plans to have around seven employees.

 

The Spot on North Street will be open Monday through Friday from 7 to 3. The Tyler Street location is open Monday through Friday 8 to 5:30 and Saturday 9 to 4.