HOUSATONIC — It’s been a long wait, but a tenant has been found for a long-empty storefront in Housatonic, and the landlord says his new leaseholder will be a “special” one.
Extra Special Teas, a unique tea shop on Elm Street in downtown Great Barrington, will take over the former Housie Market and Cafe at the corner of Pleasant and Front streets.
Patrick Holllenbeck, who owns the Shufelt Block, as the building is known, told The Edge he signed a lease on Friday with Cherri Sanes, the owner of Extra Special Teas.
“I promised the community I’d find something that was sustainable for business and good for the community, and so I hit both targets, but it took a whole lot longer than I thought,” Hollenbeck said in an interview.
Citing staffing issues and a desire to be closer to family on the West Coast, Housie Market owner Amy Hagerty closed up shop in October 2017. The storefront sat empty for almost a year until Hollenbeck bought the space.
The building at the corner of Pleasant and Front streets was built in 1915 but has since been turned into condominiums. In addition to the cafe space, there are apartments on the top floor.
Hollenbeck bought the 2,800-square-foot cafe and storage space in the basement at a foreclosure auction in 2018 for $126,000, which was $1,000 more than the next-highest bidder, Mark Caiola of the nearby Brick House Pub. Hollenbeck said at the time that he bought the building on something of a whim.
In an interview, Extra Special Teas owner Cherri Sanes said she plans to keep the cafe open on Elm Street in downtown Great Barrington. The space in Housatonic will consist of a gluten-free bakery and a tea-blending lab. She expects to have it up and running sometime in the fall.
“The Great Barrington community has been fantastic to us,” Sanes said. “We will keep that as sort of our flagship store, but are really excited about the extra space in Housatonic.”
Sanes and her husband Scott moved from the Houston, Texas, area to Sheffield in 1999 to be near their son Jache, who has autism and was enrolled in the Son Rise program at the Option Institute. The nonprofit cafe opened in 2016 and provides vocational training and therapy services for special-needs young adults, many with autism, who are aging out of school.
The Saneses said at that time that the employees learn the power of teamwork while feeling confident through the support of their peers and others. Under the supervision of teachers and volunteers, they receive the therapies they need, in addition to the opportunities to fulfill certain operational roles in the teahouse to the best of their ability.
Cherri Sanes said Extra Special Teas employs about 20 people with various disabilities, including not only autism but Down Syndrome and blindness. Jache is now 29 and still works for the organization.
“I opened this shop for him and to give him purpose and possibility in his life,” Sanes said. “I’m happy that it has turned into an organization that serves so many people with disabilities.”
See video below produced by EdgeCast videographer Jason Brown of the opening of Extra Special Teas in April 2016:
https://youtu.be/BVC4mqWLZLo
For some, the Saneses said, the skills learned at Extra Special Teas may be a stepping-stone for future employment, and for others, the “friendly and accepting work environment will provide a stimulating day program where they continue to learn and master social and vocational skills.”
“Cherri is a saint. It’s amazing what she gets done,” Hollenbeck said. “The employees have a love of purpose. They love life and what they’re doing.”
Hollenbeck said the pandemic-related shutdowns that resulted in the prolonged closure of Extra Special Teas caused many of the disabled employees to lose their connection with the people they were serving.
Hollenbeck did not recall how many prospective tenants had looked at the space as a rental possibility. He put the number at between 12 and 20. Potential restaurateurs would ask about the village’s private water system, which has been plagued by roily water. Others were also concerned about the lack of quality fiber-optic broadband.
“So this brings stability and she’ll do a great job for that corner,” Hollenbeck said of Sanes. “It will bring employment to Housatonic.”
When he bought the space, Hollenbeck made a commitment to find a tenant that was viable and sustainable. He said he considers this a turning point for Housatonic, in part because motorists driving on Route 183 “are not going to see something that looks like it’s been abandoned.”
“It’s one small step for the building and one giant leap for Housatonic,” Hollenbeck said.
