A BERKSHIRE TOWN'S RESILIENCE AND RENEWAL
FALL 24
By Scott Edward Anderson Photos By Lee Everett
There’s a scene in Frank Capra’s 1946 holiday film classic It’s a Wonderful Life, where protagonist George Bailey, scion of the Bailey Brothers Building and Loan Association, implores the other members of his community in the fictional Bedford Falls, New York, to get through a challenging time. “Now, we can get through this thing all right,” Bailey, played by Jimmy Stewart, says. “We’ve, we’ve got to stick together, though. We’ve got to have faith in each other.
In the film, the challenge was a “run” on the banks brought about by the 1929 market crash. Ultimately, the town pulls together and rallies to preserve its most important institutions and character. A community consists of people from diverse backgrounds and circumstances, the film illustrates, and every person’s life touches the lives of so many others. What the film teaches is that the consequences of collective actions matter.
In the heart of the Berkshires, the town of Lenox has long been known for its cultural richness, historic charm, and vibrant community spirit. Recent events have put this spirit to the test, but true to form, Lenox has emerged stronger and more united than ever.
The story of Lenox’s recent transformation begins with an unexpected catalyst. Ryan Salame, a 30-year-old Sandisfield native and cryptocurrency entrepreneur, made headlines in 2021 when he began acquiring several properties in Lenox, including nearly half of the town’s full-service restaurants. His investments, totaling over $6 million, were initially hailed as a boon for the local economy.
However, Salame’s involvement with the cryptocurrency trading platform FTX led to significant legal troubles in 2023, resulting in his selling several of his properties and others being seized by the government and put up for sale. This sudden turn of events could have spelled disaster for Lenox’s closeknit business community. Instead, it became an opportunity for local entrepreneurs and community leaders to band together, preserving the town’s character while ushering in a new era of growth and collaboration.
At the heart of this story is the iconic Olde Heritage Tavern, a cornerstone of Lenox’s social scene. Becky Piccolo and her twin sister Rachel have worked at the Heritage for over 20 years. Becky started as a part-time bartender “on Cosmo nights” under the previous owner, Jim McNinch, and when another of McNinch’s restaurants where she worked closed, she went full-time. Becky, who has managed the business for years, recalls the uncertainty when the government seized the restaurant. She was most concerned about the staff and customers.
“We all wanted to keep the Heritage, the Heritage,” Becky says, capturing the sentiment shared by staff and patrons alike.
The Heritage went on the auction block in early April 2024. Becky says she would have loved to bid on the property, but she didn’t have access to the kind of capital it would require or the timing to obtain it. Suzanne Bergeron, a realtor with Coldwell Banker in Longmeadow, oversaw the listing. “There were dozens of people interested from all over the country,” Bergeron says, “people from as far away as California, Colorado, and Miami, Florida, and locals as well.”
The bidding process would be sealed, which meant no one knew much about who would make a bid or how the selection would be made. Becky watched several people come through to look at the property, some of whom were not known to her and it was a stressful time. What if someone bought the building and changed the nature of the restaurant or even eliminated it? “We were on pins and needles,” says Becky.
There was speculation that at least one interested party wanted to turn the whole Heritage building into an inn, a rumor that real estate agent Bergeron dismisses. “Everyone wanted to keep it as it was,” she says, “to keep it going for the town of Lenox.”
Enter Annie Selke and her husband Jim Crane. Selke, who owned and operated the home décor shop around the corner at 36 Main Street, the Annie Selke Companies, until she sold it to Rugs USA in March 2023, and still owns a bed and breakfast at 33 Main, wanted to reassure the staff that everything was going to be okay.
“Jim came in for lunch with Annie and we all sat down to talk things through,” says Becky, recalling when Selke and Crane stepped up, “We’re going to work this out,” they said.
The outpouring of support for the Piccolo sisters and the Heritage was overwhelming. “People wrote letters, and I put them into a package we sent to the government,” says Becky. “The support was wonderful.”
Selke and Crane put in a bid on Saturday, April 6, 2024, ahead of a Monday morning deadline, but there was no guarantee they would win it. Becky got a phone call shortly after their bid was accepted on Monday evening.
“I’ll never forget the phone call from Annie and Jim,” Becky says. “They said, ‘We got it!’ and everybody on staff came by my house to celebrate. As part of the deal with Selke and Crane, Becky took out a loan from the couple, which was applied to the purchase.
“Jim and I had a threshold price that we didn’t want to exceed for the real estate asset,” Selke explains. “To achieve the winning bid for both the restaurant and the building, we offered Becky the chance to add ‘skin in the game’ in an amount that would assure that we had the winning bid.”
This innovative approach not only secured the Heritage’s future, but also empowered the Piccolo sisters to take ownership of the business they had helped shape for nearly two decades. The deal structure, which included the loan from Selke and Crane to Becky Piccolo, as well as additional financing from Lee Bank, exemplifies the creative problem-solving that has become a hallmark of Lenox’s business community.
“We have been amazed and humbled by the outpouring of gratitude we’ve received from so many people—the employees, the patrons, and business owners throughout Lenox and around the county,” Selke says. “Our mission was to have everything proceed without disruption and give Becky and Rachel not only peace of mind but the opportunity to own the business that they have been integral to for 20 years.”
Selke, who has become the Heritage’s landlord, told the Piccolo sisters they could decide what’s next for the tavern. Her only stipulation was they put an arugula salad on the menu. While the sisters haven’t yet named the salad for her, Selke says, “It’s a really good arugula salad.”
The Heritage’s story is just one thread in the tapestry of Lenox’s renewal. Around the town, other businesses and properties have found new life under local ownership.
Jane Blanchard, a former employee of the Lenox school district who now owns and manages the Firefly Gastropub on Church Street, has seen the town weather multiple storms. She worked with Salame when he owned the retaurant, and when his legal troubles began, he offered Blanchard the opportunity to purchase the Firefly at “a very reasonable price,” she says. Under Blanchard’s direction, the Firefly with its open dining area and centerpiece 360-degree bar, continues to be a part of the lively restaurant and live music scene in Lenox.
Other local business owners stepped up to preserve Lenox’s culinary landscape, including Molly Lyon-Joseph, owner of the popular Frankie’s Ristorante, and her husband, David Joseph, with whom she owns Pizzeria Boema on Main Street. The couple seized the opportunity to purchase the former Café Lucia property at 80 Church Street, across from the Firefly.
Lyon-Joseph grew up in the restaurant business in Lenox; she started as a teenager at the old Village Inn (now the Whitlock) and brings a lifetime of local knowledge to her ventures. In 2020, she and David planned to open Pizzeria Boema next door to Frankie’s, but the pandemic hit, which turned out to be oddly good for their business, Lyon-Joseph says. They decided to keep Frankie’s open and retain their staff, adjusting as the pandemic wore on and eventually opening up the pizzeria.
“My wife is the queen of the pivot,” Joseph says proudly, recounting how they adapted Frankie’s during the pandemic, even giving out rolls of toilet paper—a hot commodity in those early pandemic days— with takeout orders. They used the downtime to renovate a barn behind the main restaurant providing more outdoor space.
“We never would have gotten around to that if not for the pandemic,” says Joseph. Readers may have seen him on stage with Shakespeare and Company (including in a production of It’s a Wonderful Life) or in such films as Penny Land and Ang Lee’s Taking Woodstock.
Their plans for the Café Lucia space are still evolving, but Lyon-Joseph envisions a seasonal menu that may include a tribute to the late Jim Lucie, Café Lucia’s beloved former owner. “He was such a great guy,” she says, “it would be nice to honor his memory in that way.”
The couple’s commitment to the community extends beyond their restaurants. They’re renovating the building to include an apartment on the second floor, hoping to provide housing for staff and address the area’s need for affordable housing. This holistic approach to business ownership exemplifies the interconnected nature of Lenox’s economy.
“When one of us succeeds, we all succeed,” Lyon-Joseph says, a sentiment echoed throughout the town.
The spirit of cooperation extends to the town’s other commercial real estate as well. Sean Muellers of the Monterey-based real estate investment firm SCCD LLC purchased several properties previously owned by Salame, including the 1791 building at 27 Housatonic Street, which houses the Lenox Chamber of Commerce Visitor’s Center.
Muellers, who relocated to the Berkshires in 2020, was drawn to these properties by their historic significance and central location. “I’ve been a customer to many of these commercial tenants over the years,” he says. “I always loved their location in the center of town, the historic district.”
His approach to property management reflects a deep appreciation for Lenox’s character and the needs of its residents. “I was interested in adding apartments to allow local folks to live and work in town and to have apartment options that people would be happy to call home,” Muellers explains.
This focus on creating a livable, workable town center aligns perfectly with Lenox’s goals of maintaining its charm while fostering economic growth. All the spaces in Muellers’ newly acquired buildings remain occupied by existing tenants, providing continuity for local businesses and their customers.
The final piece of the former Salame portfolio to find a new owner was the long-vacant 9 Franklin Street property, once home to Lenox Pizza House. This space is set to become Yao, an Asian fusion eatery owned by Ziao Xia Wang, known as Wendy. Wang brings over 15 years of restaurant experience to this new venture, having previously co-owned Koto Hibachi Steakhouse and Enso Asian Bistro in Pittsfield. The addition of Yao to Lenox’s culinary menu fills a long-standing gap, as the town hasn’t had an Asian cuisine option since the Japanese restaurant, Fin, closed in 2012. While Wang declined to comment at this time, the anticipation in town is palpable as she prepares for the restaurant’s opening.
Jenn Nacht, president of the Lenox Chamber of Commerce, observes the positive momentum in town. “The mood is good,” she says. “Everything that was operating is still operating, and we may actually have two new restaurants opening within the next year.” This optimism is evident in the busy summer nights at established restaurants like Frankie’s and the Firefly, as well as in new ventures like the Doctor Sax House, a boutique hotel, lounge, and café recently opened on Walker Street.
The story of Lenox’s resilience in the face of potential economic upheaval is more than just a tale of business transactions; it’s a testament to the power of community and the town’s enduring appeal. “The town always bounces back,” says Nacht, exemplifying the community’s resilient response.
This bouncing back has taken many forms. For the Olde Heritage Tavern, it is preserving a beloved local institution while empowering longtime employees. For Molly Lyon-Joseph and David Joseph, it is an opportunity to expand their culinary footprint while honoring the legacy of a fellow restaurateur. For Sean Muellers, it is a chance to invest in the town’s historic fabric while providing much-needed housing options. And for Ziao Xia Wang, it is bringing a cuisine to Lenox that has been long missed in a building that has been long vacant.
“There’s a pervasive feeling of ‘if it’s good for one, it’s good for all,” says Nacht. “That’s what makes this place special.” Lenox doesn’t look like it’s missed a beat from the recent shifts in ownership.
Downtown has been buzzing through the summer, and there is a palpable excitement about what the future holds. As visitors stroll down the historic streets, dine in the eclectic restaurants, or attend world-class cultural events at nearby venues, they’re not just experiencing a town— they’re becoming part of a community that has proven its resilience. And for both visitors and residents alike, there’s seemingly never been a better time to be part of the Lenox story and, while there’s no individual in Lenox who is the equivalent of the George Bailey character in It’s a Wonderful Life, the community itself came to its own rescue. In the end, that’s what community is all about.