Rumors Brewing About Cup & Saucer

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
05:19PM / Wednesday, December 30, 2009Print Story | Email Story

The Cup & Saucer on Main Street was unexpectedly closed on Sunday morning. The sign showed up later.

Update: According to the North Adams Transcript on Tuesday, Jan. 5, the coffee shop is closed for good. The paper reports that Lester dropped off his keys to landlord Scarafoni Realty last week. Calls and e-mails left for Lester have gone unanswered.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Has the Cup & Saucer poured its last latte? That's what its loyal patrons are wondering.

The now iconic coffeehouse at 67 Main St. owned by Daniel Lester closed abruptly over the weekend, leaving a state senator and local coffee lovers out in the cold.

Scott Brown, a Wrentham Republican, was scheduled to make an appearance Sunday morning at the restaurant, despite it being covered with placards touting his Democratic rival for U.S. Senate, native daughter Martha Coakley.

But Brown was a no-show and the Cup & Saucer was closed. A number of patrons tried to scurry in out of the drizzly rain only to find their way blocked by the locked door and loyal customers made their way to the Hub and BrewHaHa for their morning joe.

A family situation or emergency was the word being passed around Sunday morning, but four mornings have gone by with no sign of the Cup & Saucer reopening with the exception of a simple sign on the door: "The cup will be closed temporarily."

Messages left for Lester have not yet been returned and no notices are posted on the restaurant's Web site or Facebook and MySpace pages.

David Carver of Scarafoni Associates, which owns the coffee shop building at the corner of Main and Holden, said he didn't know why the Cup was closed but he had been "working" with Lester.

"If he opens back up again that's wonderful," said Carver, adding it was a good location that's had more than one successful business. "We expect it to continue to be a wonderful place for a coffee shop ... It will all work out."

The spot had previously housed the Appalachian Bean for eight years until then owner Audrey Witter changed careers and went into teaching. Lester opened the business in 2006 with a partner, Mark Florcyczk, who left a year later. Florcyczk is now an owner of the Verizon Wireless store on Main Street.

Lester recently paid off a state meals tax lien of $12,132 incurred in 2006, according to state land records.

Over the past year, the restaurant became a central meeting point in the city election and was covered with candidate's signs. Lester was big supporter of Mayor-elect Richard Alcombright, whose green T-shirted campaign volunteers frequented the shop. Coakley's only stop in North Adams so far during the special election for Senate was the Cup & Saucer.

If anyone has more information on the Cup's fate or a better way to contact Lester, post your comments here or e-mail us at info@iberkshires.com.

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If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Your Comments

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I heard Dan was abducted by aliens, but will return soon.
from: rumormill	on: 12-31-2009 12:00AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

I in fact did show up and try to grab a coffee, but the place was closed. No worries, went to many other places in the area. Happy New Year. Sen. Brown
from: Sen. Brown	on: 01-01-2010 12:00AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

I tried to have breakfast at the Cup & Saucer a couple of times this summer. In spite of their stated opening time of 6 AM-ish, at 8 AM-ish they were not open and my husband and I went elsewhere to eat.
from: vtgirl	on: 01-01-2010 12:00AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

Dan, you are in our thoughts - we miss you and hope all is well. Looking forward to seeing you soon at the Cup!
from: Hestia	on: 01-03-2010 12:00AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

I've heard from a very highly placed source that this is not a rumor. Cup & Saucer, sadly, is closing or has closed for good. Another victim of a bait and switch rent price from Scarafoni Realty. Get them in with a nice low rent, then in one fell swoop jump the rent by more than double. Elf Parlor is not far behind. I guess North Adams can't keep a good coffee shop around, except for BrewHaHa. Elf Parlor had hoped for a good crowd from MCLA, but the college openly encourages the students to spend their food money on campus.
from: not a rumor	on: 01-04-2010 12:00AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

I heard from the landlord that it was a surprise to them that The Cup closed it's doors. Since then, the locks have been changed and entry is only permitted by contacting Scarafoni Realty. I would be willing to say that it has more to do with poor money management and less with doubled rent....
from: Main Street Lover	on: 01-04-2010 12:00AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

Could it have anything to do with Mr. Lester not paying his taxes?
from: In The Know	on: 01-04-2010 12:00AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

This is sad. I hope Dan issues a statement as to what is going on. Also, what is he going to do about the gift certificates that he sold over the holidays.....?
from: Annoyed	on: 01-05-2010 12:00AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

Where's the bailout help for small businesses? Dan is an grossly talented hardworking dude. We need to support those like him, its how anything ever gets done in this world. Come on North Adams!!!
from: elfparlor	on: 01-06-2010 12:00AM I Agree (0) - I Disagree (0)

North Adams Becomes a Purple Heart Community

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
05:16AM / Tuesday, August 11, 2026

Veterans Service Officer Kurtis Durocher, a Purple Heart recipient, tells his own story of how he was wounded in Iraq.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — City leaders last week held a ceremony marking the city as a Purple Heart Community to honor local military service members wounded or killed in combat.

"This designation is much more than a sign that will stand at the entrances to our city," said Kurtis Durocher, Northern Berkshire veterans service officer at City Hall on Friday. "It is a lasting commitment and a promise to this community. We'll never forget the sacrifices made by those who are wounded or killed while serving our nation. It is a public declaration of the courage and sacrifices of combat wounded. Veterans will always have a place of honor here in North Adams."

As a Purple Heart Community, North Adams will place signs throughout the city acknowledging the designation. The city will also hold a ceremony every Aug. 7 on National Purple Heart Day.

During the inaugural ceremony, Durocher said he was asked by the Military Order of the Purple Heart to find a keynote speaker for the event, preferably a Purple Heart recipient. But he was unable to find someone willing to speak. With the date approaching, he decided to tell his own story.

"I don't like standing up and telling my own personal story ... But I realized, in my position as a VSO, I get so many ... children of veterans who will say, 'I didn't know anything about my father until after he passed because he just didn't talk about it,'" Durocher said. "... I have been that way until I've gotten into this position, and so, now, I try to tell my story as much as I can when it is brought to me."

Durocher served in the Army for 20 years and retired as a master sergeant. On Friday, he recalled a time early in his career while serving in the 82nd Airborne Division deploying to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. On Sept. 12, 2003, his squad was conducting a patrol on Route Irish in Baghdad. He was serving as a gunner on an LMTV when it was struck by a 155-millimeter artillery shell. He said the explosive had been hidden behind a guardrail and detonated using nothing more than a washing machine timer.

"In an instant, everything changed. The blast knocked me unconscious. When I regained consciousness, I instinctively was removing my helmet," he said. "Almost immediately my training took over. We had been taught repeatedly that attacks like this were often followed by a secondary attack or an ambush. I quickly put my helmet back on and began searching for my machine gun."

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