Jae's is reopening its 7 Winter St. location with a new menu.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A well-known local eatery is relaunching a second location with a new menu.

Jae's Grill is planning a soft opening mid-week at 7 Winter St. The menu will feature upscale American cuisine, a change from the pan-Asian offerings of Jae's at the Hilton Garden Inn on South Street.

"It's a classy place but a homey place that you can come to," general manager Raya Stockton said, adding that it will have good food, good drinks, and a nice atmosphere.

The space was open as Jae's a handful of years ago before the South Street location, which Stockton reported is a great success. Owner Jae Chung, herself, and Executive Chef Ronald Reda felt it was the right time to bring a new restaurant to Pittsfield.

"Everybody is ready for a new restaurant for Berkshire county and it was the perfect timing," she explained.

Reda previously was chef de cuisine at Hotel on North and has a long tenure in the restaurant industry as Chung and Stockton do.

They chose an American cuisine menu to not step on the other location's toes and offer a new side of Jae's brand. For drinks, there will be a fully stocked bar that includes around 40 different types of wine.

Reda said the vibe will be similar to a steakhouse but not completely fit the theme, as the team wanted to keep it approachable to best serve the community.

"I think you need something upscale but casual," he said. "We're still going to have really good steaks, we're still going to have some really good options but I didn't want to label it as a steak house so I said upscale American grill."

The chef is also known for his fusion/comfort food, which fueled the choice to offer a new kind of cuisine.

"The guys that I have in my kitchen plus myself, we all have some kind of pride in what we do," Reda said. "We're not just here to throw food out at people. We care about what we're doing. We're using the best ingredients we can for the seasons and stuff. We just try to make everyone happy."

Stockton seconded his sentiments.

"I think everybody working here as a team, we have a passion for what we do, and that can't be taught," she said. "We love what we do. This is not something we come in and we punch the clock, we enjoy it and that's why we're here."

The upper floor of the building features a large room for events. The team is focusing on getting the restaurant open for now and then will make way for catering.

Stockton did report hosting a successful event at the eatery a couple of weeks ago with over 50 people who were pleased with the food and service.

"I think the most important thing is we just get open," she explained. "We get people knowing that we're here, people knowing us."

Jae's Grill will be open from 3 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, from 3 to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and from 3 to 9 p.m. on Sunday.

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