Dottie鈥檚 Coffee Lounge in Pittsfield is up for sale and closing on Sunday

By By Maryjane Williams Gillian Heck 鈥 The Berkshire Eagle The Berkshire Eagle

Dottie鈥檚 Coffee Lounge in Pittsfield is up for sale and closing on Sunday

PITTSFIELD 鈥 After nearly two decades of serving espresso in the heart of downtown, Dottie鈥檚 Coffee Lounge is closing its doors to make way for new ownership.

Jessica Rufo, who founded the cafe in 2007 at the age of 26, has officially put the North Street business on the market. What began as her dream to bring the vibe and quality of New York City coffee shops to Pittsfield has grown into a three-room operation that includes a French caf茅, art gallery and bar with live music.

As a Pittsfield native, Rufo also saw the business as a way to help revitalize her hometown鈥檚 downtown.

鈥淚 was like, if I move to Pittsfield and I find a storefront downtown and open a very full coffee shop, then someone else will want to open up their very full shop,鈥 she said. 鈥淎nd so the city really embraced me and supported me.鈥

Over the years, Dottie鈥檚 expanded after Rufo acquired the two neighboring storefronts. However, when Rufo took over the former Mission Bar and Tapas space in 2022 to launch the nighttime concept Dorothy鈥檚 Estaminet, she quickly realized she bit off more than she could chew. The construction costs were much higher than expected, and when her business partner stepped away, she was left to lead both the daytime caf茅 and the new evening operation on her own.

Then came personal loss. In 2023, Rufo鈥檚 father passed away. Coupled with other life changes and the demands of running a multi-faceted business, she began rethinking her priorities. Now a mother of three, Rufo decided it鈥檚 time to step back.

鈥淲hen you lose a key player in your life, your perspective switches. And for me, it was like, 鈥極h my God, I need to live,鈥欌 Rufo said. 鈥淢y oldest daughter is 14, and I just realized I have four summers left with her. There’s no better way for me to spend my time than with my family.鈥

For her next chapter, Rufo said she wants to take a step back from hustle culture and focus on more personal, creative work 鈥 including painting, writing and building community with other women who鈥檝e faced similar challenges.

鈥淚’m really interested in women in business and burnout,鈥 she said. 鈥淎nd really connecting with other people like me and hearing their stories and how they survive, especially mothers in business.鈥

The business and fixtures 鈥 not including the real estate 鈥 are currently listed for $550,000 by Carrie Wright of William Pitt Sotheby’s Lenox office, but the right buyer matters more to Rufo than the highest bid.

鈥淭he perfect buyer for me is not necessarily someone who has every last dollar, but the person who really understands the importance of maintaining spaces like this for Pittsfield,鈥 Rufo said. 鈥淚t’s really important that the person [who] takes over this space is community-minded.鈥

If the prospective owner wants to take over just the Dottie鈥檚 or Dorothy鈥檚 side, they can do so thanks to a subdivision clause in the lease, since Rufo said running the three-room space is not a single-person task.

鈥淚f they want to run a three-storefront business and utilize all of the potential here, then they’ll do very well,鈥 Rufo said. 鈥淏ut it’s really a matter of having enough team players and teammates and skin in the game.鈥

The caf茅 will close this Sunday and remain shuttered until a new owner steps in, which Rufo hopes will happen soon, as there has already been some interest.

Still, she’s grateful for the community that has supported her and the caf茅 over the years, a group that Rufo considers her second family.

鈥淲alking through these doors for the past 18 years has been easy because of the community support,鈥 she said. 鈥淓very single person that came in here 鈥 the people who worked here, they’re the ones that made it such a vibrant and collective, cohesive community space, and that is what made it special.鈥

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