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Owner Scott Grupe's restaurant EAT focuses on fresh food made from scratch.

'EAT' Restaurant in Williamstown Opens in Colonial Plaza

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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EAT opened in a former pizzeria in the Colonial Shopping Center.
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — EAT brings casual fresh Italian cuisine to town.
 
Owner Scott Grupe said when he cooks anything, above all it needs to be fresh.
 
"Everything is made from scratch," he said. "Everything including all of sauces, dressings, and dough. Pretty much everything."
 
Grupe said this was true of his last restaurant, East Arlington Takeout in Vermont, which he ran for six years. He said he has brought the same quality and inspired name (East Arlington Takeout or EAT) to Berkshire County.
 
He began considering a move about a year ago. His daughter goes to school in the area and he has other ties to Berkshire County. So when his lease ran out in Arlington, he decided to try something new.
 
"I decided to start a new and put some seats in," Grupe said. "There were other places I looked at up here but nothing had seats available. Takeout was fun but I wanted something different."
 
Takeout is still a cornerstone of the business but now with more room, he wants to put a focus on dining.
 
The restaurant rolled out with a soft opening on Jan. 10; it also offers catering and has space for group events.
 
The menu has the expected Italian classics as well as a long list of grinders such as "The Steak Explosion" and specialty pizzas including "The 3 Pigs and Their Friends." EAT also offers daily soups and quiches and frequent specials along with beer and wine.
 
Grupe said he may add more steak options as he goes along but does not want to directly compete with other restaurants in town or even in the same plaza.
 
"I am not going to be a bistro because there is one two doors down and I am not going to do Mexican because that is another few doors down," he said. "We are going to sell pizzas but we are not just a pizza restaurant."
 
Grupe said things are starting to pick up since the soft opening.
 
"Last night was the first night we tried dinner," he said on Wednesday. "It started out slow and then about 6:30 it kicked in and we had six or seven tables ... it happened quick."
 
He said he may add delivery in the future.
 
EAT is open Tuesday from 4-9, Wednesday and Thursday 11:30 to 9, Friday and Saturday 11:30 to 10, and Sunday 4-8. The phone number is 413-458-6164. 
 

Tags: new business,   restaurants,   

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Williamstown Fire District Inks 3-Year Deal with New Chief

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff

Jeffrey Dias of the Onset Fire Department has signed a contract to become Williamstown's fire chief. 
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The town's next fire chief says he was "ecstatic" when he heard that he would be offered the post.
 
On Tuesday afternoon, the Prudential Committee ratified a contract to make Jeffrey Dias the successor to Chief Craig Pedercini, who retired from the post on Monday.
 
"It's very sad to leave someplace you've been the better part of three decades," said Dias, currently the deputy chief and a long-time firefighter in the South Shore community of Onset. "But I'm very excited. A lot of big things are going to happen in the future."
 
The five-member Prudential Committee, which oversees the district, selected Dias on March 12 from among three candidates it interviewed earlier in the month.
 
Last week, the committee held an executive session — a rarity for the body — to discuss the negotiation of the contract. And on Tuesday, at a special meeting, the board voted to approve the deal.
 
Dias agreed to a three-year deal with a $125,000 base salary and 3 percent cost-of-living adjustments in years two and three.
 
"We are very excited to have Chief Dias lead the department forward as we look forward to the completion of our new station and the future of the Williamstown Fire Department," Prudential Committee Chair David Moresi said on Thursday.
 
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