ADAMS, Mass. — The Selectmen on Wednesday voted to enter negotiations with an Agawam catering company to operate food service at the Greylock Glen's outdoor center. 

 

Chez Hospitality Group LLC submitted the only proposal to run the center's cafe and provisions offerings. 

 

"We are a hospitality group that is rooted in management agreements chiefly with municipalities throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts," said Mark Sparks, general manager and principal. "We've had a lot of enjoyment in working and partnering with municipalities. ...

 

"We're excited to potentially partner and think this is a great opportunity to join in the ground floor, to kind of have a white canvas and see what we can make this."

 

The company's portfolio includes concessionaire work with golf courses and beaches, catering for organizations such as the University of Connecticut and Amazon, and social catering for weddings and corporate events. CHG has catered a number of events in the Berkshires, including at Ski Butternut.

 

Sparks is initially proposing a slow ramp up with grab 'n' go sandwiches, salads, snacks and protein packs and shakes; made-to-order counter items; and preordered packages such as picnics and boxed lunches. There are some future ideas such as theme nights, tastings, catering and specialty events. 

 

CHG would also seek a beer and wine license and, according to its proposal, is willing to discuss the advantage and disadvantages of a full liquor license with the town. 

 

The hospitality group was recommended by a selection committee comprised of glen Executive Director Michael Wynn, Town Administrator Jay Green, Special Projects Manager Donna Cesan and Laura Brennan, economic development program manager for Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. 

 

Wynn noted that the first request for proposals for a food service vendor resulted in no bids despite interest from a number of entities. The RFP was issued prior to his hiring and he said he took the time to research the document and solicit feedback from the vendors.

 

What he found "was some language and some terminology in the RFP that may have been intimidating or limiting" and that probably would have been discussed in negotiations. Requirements were changed to preferences to more generalize and broaden the scope of the RFP and attract more proposals. 

 

Selectman Joseph Nowak questioned Marks' financial issues, including the bankruptcy auction of the iconic 1,500-seat Chez Josef banquet hall in Agawam last year. Marks had worked his way up at Chez Josef and purchased it in 2012. 

 

 "So that kind of bothers me a little bit that, you know, you've gone through bankruptcy," he said. "This to Adams is a big thing. This restaurant is literally one of the key, if not the key for success of the Greylock Glen building."

 

Sparks said the hall was a victim of the pandemic as it was forced to close in 2020 and, because of the occupancy limitations that followed, was never able to get back to normal. 

 

Assistant General Manager Regina Spafford said Sparks had called the staff together and offered them to go their separate ways or follow him in creating CHG. 

 

"It actually turned into very late nights, many nights where we just start to throw everything against the wall and see what stuck," she said. "So we worked harder in COVID than ever to really to pivot to build a entirely new company. ... The hard work began to pay off — we found more and more opportunity that we couldn't even believe was out there. It was more in tune with the future that we are living in than, unfortunately, Chez Josef had come across."

 

Spafford said the new company is more in tune with the changed world and customers' expectations. CHG doesn't run a standard restaurant but rather adapts seasonally and culturally to the different customer bases it serves. Sparks said it's like constantly creating a new restaurant. 

 

Selectwoman Ann Haddad Bartlett, who retired as owner of the former Red Carpet, said she understood the difficulties in the restaurant business.

 

"I'm just saying that I think I applaud you that you just went forward and said, 'No, I'm not quitting I'm gonna come out somehow.' Because I know it's a hard thing," she said. 

 

Town Administrator Jay Green said Sparks and Spafford had made it clear to the selection committee during their interview last week that they understood the glen, understood the Berkshires and what it means to Adams. 

 

"I think it's important that everybody knows that this is really a test. It's an experiment," he said. "We took great pains last Thursday to be sure that Mark and Regina and their team knows there's no set expectation for what this is gonna look like on day one. Where it may appear to be on day one may be very different from what it looks like six, nine months, a year after."

 

Chair John Duval asked if they would be ready for the proposed opening on Friday, Oct. 11, the Columbus Day Weekend. Spafford thought they could do samples of their food and services to "entice the public and increase interest." 

 

The board voted to authorize Green to begin lease negotiations with Nowak abstaining. Green said the next step is to sit down with CHG, the town's attorney and Mass Audubon (the educational vendor) to develop an agreement. The initial RFP was five years but Green, in response to questions from Nowak, said the attorney would offer opinions on the timing. 

 

In other business:

 

• The Selectmen, acting as the licensing authority, approved one-day liquor licenses for the Firehouse Cafe on July 20 and July 26, to serve from 5 to 8 at the Adams Theater; approved change of officers and annual public entertainment license for Gebirgs Verein, doing business as the Mountain Club; and approved a Class 1 auto dealership license for Haddad Auto Group at 224 Columbia St.

 

• The board also approved the transfer of a wine and malt beverages from Adams Hometown Supermarket (Myrtle Street Supermarket Inc.) to Danman LLC, whose principal is Daniel M. Desantis of South Easton.

 

Attorney Andrew Upton, representing the Desantis, said the supermarket no longer wished to operate the alcohol sales but also wanted to maintain it as a product in the store. The market was approved in 2019. Desantis said customers will not notice any changes. 

 

• The board ratified the hiring of Kelly Martinek as a full-time financial assistant in the Assessor's Department (replacing two vacant part-time posts) and Ryan Nolau as a seasonable laborer with the Department of Public Works.

 

• It also appointed Nowak as the liaison to the Board of Health with Nowak and Hoyt abstaining.

 

• The board voted to suspend parking meters and control townwide during the Park Street paving project on Aug. 6  and 7 with the option for the administrator to modify if the dates change. This is to aid motorists since the there will be no parking allowed during the milling and paving process. 

 

• The board went into executive session to review a proposed tax exemption agreement for the Adams Theater and returned to open meeting only to adjourn. Nowak and Selectwoman Christine Hoyt recused themselves because of their volunteer involvement with the theater. An earlier version of this article only noted Nowak.  

 

• Police were called during public comment after resident Edward Winarski began shouting at Duval about his road. Winarski says the road has been maintained by the town but Duval said town counsel found it was a private way. An argument ensued over what the town's highway foreman had said to each and Winarski refused to sit down. He did, however, leave the room before officers arrived.