East Side Cafe on Newell Street was approved for outdoor seating with conditions.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Licensing Board approved several business alterations on Monday, and two neighboring owners were able to step out and clarify the terms of outdoor seating. 

East Side Cafe secured outdoor table service in about 10 feet of property next to the longtime business.  Owner Marco Allessio said there will be a few tables with lattice fencing for privacy. 

His cousin, Amy Koenig, owner of Lakewood Creamery and an abutting residential property, had opposed the outdoor seating out of concern for her grandmother on Lombard Street, explaining, "If you stand in my grandmother's parlor, it's not even my wingspan from the property." 

She has owned the home since 2018, but her grandmother has lived there for about 70 years. They are members of the Capitanio family, who sold the business to Allessio, another relative, last fall. 

"While I certainly understand the allure of outdoor seating, and I understand the financial gains of outdoor seating, my family has owned, nearly 100 years, four generations, the East Side Cafe, and what has always been agreed upon is that there wouldn't be outdoor seating in those areas," she said. 

"… the trials and tribulations of owning a small business where you literally live on the property, there's noise, there's patrons, there's no privacy in the yard, and you take the good and the bad, because you own the business. Really not wanting to exacerbate it and have all of these patrons there with formalized alcohol service and food, really was something that my family avoided." 

Board member Kathy Amuso said, "obviously there's family involved here, and we want people to be happy," and suggested that they go out in the hall for 10 minutes and come back with an agreement that works for everyone. 

Koenig and Allessio agreed that alcohol will only be served outside until 9 p.m. and tables will be at least 15 feet away from their grandmother's home. 

"That was my original plan," Allessio explained. 

The board also approved: 

• A change of manager, a change of officers/director/LLC managers, and a change of name to Pittsfield Lodge No. 272 BPO Elks. This reflects the Adams Elks lodge merging with the Pittsfield Elks lodge. 
   
• Lodging house licenses for Side By Side Assisted Living Residence’s locations at 54-56 Gilbert St., 53 West Union St., and 55 West Union St. The facility applied for a lodging license after adding a bedroom and two bathrooms to 53 West Union St. and adding sprinkler systems to the other homes. 
   
• A downtown annual wine and malt restaurant license for Espetinho Carioca, located at 48B North St.
  
  "You may or may not know that this restaurant has been on North Street for about two years. It serves Brazilian food, and in that time has become really a hub of the large Brazilian community in Pittsfield," attorney Jesse Cook-Dubin said. 
  
  "They have never had a license to serve alcoholic beverages, and they would like one, because we know you cannot make money in this business without one. Right now, the only license available is one of the special downtown wine and malt licenses. So that will have to do for now." 

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