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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.

Protecting Your Assets: How FDIC and DIF Protect Your Deposits

Submitted by Dana Robb
In this time of economic uncertainty, keeping your money secure should be a top priority. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Depositors Insurance Fund (DIF) play crucial roles in safeguarding your deposits.
 
FDIC Insurance: Your First Line of Defense
More than just a sticker on the door at your bank, the FDIC, an independent government agency, provides insurance coverage for deposits at member banks. As of 2025, the FDIC insures up to $250,000 per depositor, per institution, and ownership category. This means if you have two different types of accounts (e.g. savings and a CD) at the same bank, you only receive $250,000 of insurance for these accounts even if you have more than this amount deposited. 
 
FDIC insurance is automatic for covered accounts at member banks for individual and business customers, meaning there's no cost to you for the protection. Covered accounts include:
  • Checking accounts
  • Savings accounts
  • Money market deposit accounts (MMDAs)
  • Certificates of deposit (CDs)
  • Certain retirement accounts, such as IRAs invested in CDs
In instances where an account has more than one owner, the $250,000 coverage per ownership still applies.
 
For example, a joint account with two owners could be insured up to $500,000 ($250,000 per owner). Similarly, a trust account with three beneficiaries could be insured up to $750,000. The only limitation is that the maximum insurance coverage for a trust owner with five or more beneficiaries is $1,250,000 per owner for all trust accounts held at the same bank. You can add more than five beneficiaries, but the coverage will not exceed $1,250,000.
 
Depositors Insurance Fund (DIF): Extra Protection for Massachusetts residents
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