NORTH ADAMS, Massachusetts – The owners of the Berkshire Palate take over the shuttered restaurant from the Holiday Inn.

The Licensing Commission on Tuesday approved the transfer of the liquor license from NAH Bar LLC to 413 Bistro LLC. The hotel’s Richmond Grill has been closed for at least a year.

Berkshire Palace opened on Main Street in Williamstown three years ago – a family affair involving Paul Brassard and his sons Zachary, Nolan and Aaron.

Paul Brassard told council that the entire operation would move from Williamstown and that a second location was planned in Pittsfield.

“This will be the 413 Bistro, which is actually what the LLC has always been,” he said. “But we won’t be in Williamstown anymore. … As soon as North Adams opens, like, roughly the day we get the license, we’ll probably be ready within 48 hours.”

The restaurant will include service on the hotel’s covered terrace, something the Brassards found very appealing. Paul Brassard estimated the seating capacity at around 40 and, in response to the board’s question about an outdoor bar, said it was possible and that a point-of-sale device was ordered for the outside so that someone is always there.

“Considering that people have really been into alfresco dining over the past year or so … probably the most important thing about this space is that it has this wonderful covered outdoor seating area,” said he declared. “If we thought it made sense, from a business perspective, it kind of meant less fuss and stuff, we could do that but I don’t know… but I definitely wouldn’t stay there.

He explained that Berkshire Palate only served beer and wine, so a full liquor license would be something new. But he assured the council that the staff would keep an eye on the patio and the alcohol would be stored as in the old grill.

“We’re a restaurant, not a bar, so we don’t do like any 1am thing or something crazy,” Brassard said. the moment I don’t think we’d even be there. “

The council also asked about breakfast and weddings. Brassard said they had never worked in this type of relationship with a hotel before and that he anticipated there would be problems. For now, the restaurant will focus on lunch and dinner but, after some discussion with the board, the times have been set from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., with a final call at 10:30 a.m., to provide flexibility to the board. bistro.

Aaron Brassard will be the record manager at North Adams and Zachary Brassard at Pittsfield.

Tamara Chubinidze, originally from Tbilisi, Georgia, opened Chama Mama in New York in 2019 and recently opened a second location in the city. She told the board that the plans with Mass MoCA were a “magic accident” after she arranged a board meeting and developed a personal relationship with them.

They love us as an operator and we love them as a whole, and I personally come to North Adams at least once every two months because I love the area, the area, ”she said. to have Chama Mama but we weren’t sure because of COVID because of everything that happened. “

Chubinidze said the restaurant has been successful in New York City because people are ready for new cuisine. “We kind of respond to all kinds of customers and then we tell a little story about who we are because some people don’t even know where the country of Georgia is and always ask me, ‘Oh Atlanta, and then I I’m like come on, listen to my accent, ”she laughs.

Memorial Day weekend will be an opportunity to introduce the region to Georgian cuisine, wine, customs and culture.

“Since Georgia is the birthplace of wine, we wanted to have the option of wine to sell, to taste, to make customers understand that it’s not just the food, it’s the wine that we are. represent as a culture, ”she said. “It’s just kind of a little test in a fun way for us to feel how customers will take us, how welcoming it will be and to factor in the feedback and kind of personalize the Chama Mama concept for North Adams. . “

The pop-up restaurant will accommodate trained staff from New York City and will also advertise seasonal help.

Members Rosemari Dickinson and Peter Breen approved the four-day license with hours from noon to 8 a.m. Member Michael Obasohan abstained; he had voted to endorse the restaurant as a member of the Mass MoCA Commission. Chubinidze was put on the board’s agenda for June 8 for a hearing on a permanent permit.