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The owners of Thistle & Mirth on West Street are hoping to raise $8,000 from patrons to turn the bar into a pizzeria with 'safe closing hours.'

Thistle & Mirth Turns to Patrons for Help With Pizza Rebranding

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The owners of Thistle and Mirth are fundraising to rebrand to the bar's "nerdy and artsy roots" with the addition of pizza.

An Indiegogo has been launched to raise funds for the revision, rebranding, and reopening of the establishment after a stabbing on Thanksgiving Eve closed its doors. The plan is to reduce the footprint to the "old Mirth," install a pizza oven, emphasize games and artsy community events, focus on well-curated craft beer, and have earlier hours.

"After 13 years, we don't want to give up so easily," owners Joad Bowman and Austin Oliver wrote on social media.

The fundraiser aims to collect $8,000 to support the effort and has raised more than $3,800 so far. The owners have been deep cleaning, repairing, and painting the former bar and ramen restaurant.

"As many of you know we had a violent incident invade our space on November 23, and we made the decision to close our doors due to the rise in criminal activity in Pittsfield nightlife," the fundraiser reads.

"For us, the expansion that COVID forced on us had already taken a toll on our spirits, and the wallets. But we were making progress and had come almost out of the deep end. Until the incident."


Over the following week, Bowman and Oliver decided they could not cut ties with Pittsfield that easily and would try to move past this with a transformed space for the people who have supported Thistle and Mirth in its 13 years of operation.

Last week, Thistle and Mirth's ramen menu was moved to sister eatery Lulu's Tiny Grocery. Lulu's, located inside Crawford Square on North Street, was opened as a breakfast and lunch spot last year.

"Mirth will rise again, but we can't do it alone," the two wrote. "It is only with great reluctance that we are using this channel for fundraising, and are only doing it because of the tremendous circumstances and because we are attaching perks and rewards for those who would like them."

Closing on the busiest day of the year and the time following has reportedly "decimated" the restaurant's accounts and brought them to the brink.  

"We are returning to our nerdy and artsy roots: board games, communal events, safe closing hours….a pizza party!" they wrote.

The fundraiser has multiple levels of giving for larger donations that include a menu item in your name, a keychain, or even a pizza party around the donor's birthday.


Tags: bars, taverns,   business changes,   pizza,   restaurants,   

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

Pittsfield Subcommittee Supports Petricca TIF

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Some city councilors are happy to support a longtime city construction company's expansion. It will take a majority of the council support the tax exemption plan.

On Monday, the Finance subcommittee voted in favor of a 10-year tax increment financing agreement for Unistress Corp.'s $4 million expansion at 550 Cheshire Road, which is expected to create 50 new jobs. 

"This is the perfect opportunity. When we give out TIFs or we give out GE economic funds, people talk about helping local business. This is a great local business that hires a lot of people, that pays good salaries so I'm 100 percent for this. This is an easy slam dunk for me," Councilor at Large Earl Persip III said.

"I don't know anybody who's against this. The only time I hear people are against it is they don't understand the TIF program and how it actually works."

Last month, the council acted as a decades-defunct financing authority to OK MassDevelopment assistance for the company. Approval from the Pittsfield Industrial Development Financing Authority, formed in the 1970s, is needed to move the process forward yet that body is far in the past.

At the time, Mayor Peter Marchetti reported that he would return with another proposal to help the company.

"Petricca doesn't have to put an expansion into Pittsfield just like years ago, Interprint did not have to put an expansion in Pittsfield. They could have chosen to move to Georgia, which was on the table for them and an opportunity," he said.

"So anytime the city can come to the table and assist a local business, especially to grow and expand, we should be there with whatever tools in our toolbox that we have."

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