Mezze Restaurant To Relocate
To 777 Cold Springs Road, Williamstown by June
By: Ariel Petrova - Mar 12, 2010
The change in location is part of MezzeÂ’s overall strategy to have more control over its restaurant venues in order to provide superior service and amenities to its customers.
Mezze Restaurant Group purchased the 777 Cold Spring Road property, formerly known as Le Jardin (and more recently JaeÂ’s of Williamstown), in April of 2009. The group moved their catering kitchen and offices to the new building and has been hosting events in the new space as part of their growing catering business. The past few months have been dedicated to sprucing up the property with interior and exterior renovations that are in keeping with sustainable building practices.
“The Cold Spring Road property allows us to fulfill and expand on the promises we’ve made to our customers and aligns our values and mission with the greater goal,” said Nancy Thomas, co-owner of Mezze Restaurant Group. “This move allows us to be an integral part of what it means to be sustainable. We get to tell more of the food culture story of the Berkshires. Our core farm-to-table mission can be further developed with edible gardens, sustainable landscaping and architecture, expanded outdoor dining, and more flexible catering options to better serve our patrons. Having the Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation as our neighbor is another incredible asset,” she added.
“We made every effort to work with existing materials and finishes, and to reinvent them in keeping with the Mezze standard of inviting and innovative design while ensuring a low environmental impact,” said Rip Gibson, sustainable development designer on the Cold Spring Road building project.
Throughout the renovation process, low-VOC and no-VOC paints and adhesives were utilized, existing fixtures were reinvented to match the new décor and previous furnishings were donated to MASS MoCA for artist housing. Other building materials and a large sliding glass door were donated to Habitat For Humanity of Berkshire County. Working with various experts in the field, two rain gardens were installed to aid in ground water recharge. Infiltration berms were implemented to protect adjoining wetlands from contaminants and the slope behind the restaurant, which contains many artesianal wells, was stabilized with the use of a rock wall allowing for storm and spring water to be guided into the two streams on the property without passing over any drive or parking areas thus helping to protect the ground water from contaminants.
The property is a fusion of the first Mezze Bistro and its current location. One of the signature elements of the original Mezze was its position on the Green River and a strong connection to the outdoors. The current Mezze Bistro location is more traditional and refined. “I believe we get the best of both worlds in this new property -- a dining experience in a polished setting and a real connection to nature,” said Thomas. “We get to expand outside more than we ever have. The way the building sits, the pond, the gazebo… guests are going to be very excited as we grow into the property,” she added.
Over the next few months, Mezze Restaurant Group will host several events in the new space so the community can begin to participate in the new location.
“Mezze will always be Mezze no matter where it is located because our business is about the family of people who support it and have done so for 14 years,” said Bo Peabody, co-owner of Mezze Restaurant Group.
Mezze Restaurant Group
Mezze Restaurant Group is committed to the ‘buy local’ mission with an emphasis on the highest quality ingredients. Working with like-minded, small family farms using sustainable practices, the restaurant group strives to bring the freshest ingredients possible, directly from the farm to the table. In addition, restaurant bar menus feature small-batch microbrews, local distillers and seasonal, small-production wines.
Co-owned by Nancy Thomas and Bo Peabody, the Mezze Restaurant Group is comprised of Mezze Bistro + Bar in Williamstown, Allium Restaurant + Bar in Great Barrington and Mezze Catering, which provides full-service event design and planning. Mezze Restaurant Group is a member of Berkshire Grown, Slow Food and the Berkshire Visitors Bureau.