Jessica Rufo

Jessica Rufo opened Dottie’s Coffee Lounge in downtown Pittsfield in 2007 after honing her coffee craft in New York City. The Pittsfield native singlehandedly created the first sustainable coffeehouse in Pittsfield—no investors, business partners, or grants to lighten the load—with the intention to build community and to offer exceptional coffee and real, homemade food. Described as a combination of beauty, truth, courage, and love, Rufo has kept Dottie’s open for the community throughout the pandemic, maintaining it as a place for conversation and connection. She lives in Lanesborough with her husband and three young children.