\n\tPurdy, whose wife Ana Bradbury owns the Lanesborough Local Country Store, took over the original storefront after Bradbury moved her business to a larger location
across the parking lot<\/a>.<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\t“When we moved over to the bigger location, I did a lot of work in this space initially and didn’t really want to give it away to someone else. Me and him have always talked about just, like, opening a bar, a brewery, or doing something,” Purdy said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\tLifelong friends, the duo always wanted to start some sort of business venture together. Steele operated a home brewery for 15 years, and together the pair previously ran a mobile bar business called Farm Truck Catering Company. When the storefront became available, they decided it was the right moment to establish a dedicated space for people to enjoy.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\t“We wanted to make a cool spot that has a lot of games, TVs with, like, cool stuff on\u2014you don’t typically see, like skiing and fly-fishing and mountain biking, stuff that’s not typical\u2014and have good drink options, good beers, and live music a lot, because it just seems like this area is lacking all of those things,” Purdy said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\tPurdy noted that few local establishments offer the variety of activities found at The Tap Room. The space features darts, a stage for live music, pool tables, cornhole, karaoke, and ping pong. His experience at the country store often involved tourists asking for recommendations on local entertainment.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\t“When we have people, like tourists from the Lanesborough Local, and they always ask, ‘What food is there to do around here?’ And really it’s a lot of, like, restaurant bars; like, there’s not a lot of, like, activity places,” Purdy said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\tThe Tap Room features a busy schedule of themed events: Mondays are “Bring Your Own Vinyl” night, followed by Trivia Tuesdays, Open Mic Wednesdays, and Karaoke Thursdays. Fridays and Saturdays are dedicated to live music, while Sundays feature tournaments.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\t“We’re very open to suggestions with things. We’ve had people suggest bands. We’ve had people suggest beers, and we’ve changed them. People suggest something, yeah, we’ll get it, and we get it,” he said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\tThe owners are also encouraging patrons to start their own leagues for the various games available in the space.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\tWhen renovations began in October, Steele and Purdy handled much of the work themselves, including painting and construction. They also commissioned local Pittsfield artist Bobby Diesel to create a custom graffiti mural on the interior wall.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\t“Built the stage, built the tables, built the bar, built the tap system,” they said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\tBased on patron feedback, they are currently adding more high-top seating to accommodate the growing crowds. The duo hopes The Tap Room will become a staple music venue and the go-to destination for entertainment in Lanesborough.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n