so he closed up shop and headed back north with his failed ( but delicious ) energy ball recipe that was soon to become the scoopable Bear Butter . The Spot in Pittsfield had remained open , so Vella began honing his vision for his new product . Soon enough , he hit the ground running when he and a cohort of friends hustled throughout the Northeast peddling “ The Better Butter ” at vendor markets .
“ I feel like post-Covid , there was this huge market wave . And we did great at all of the markets ,” says Vella . But the moment Vella knew he had something special on his hands was when he set up shop at The Big E in 2022 , where they sold nearly 3,000 jars of Bear Butter . “ Every type of person from every economic background and everyone was , like , ‘ Yo , what is this ?’ That ' s when I realized that it was that universally loved .”
Originally , every jar of Bear Butter was born in the back of The Spot in Pittsfield , but Vella has recently outsourced the production to a facility in Greenfield where it can be mass-produced to keep up with demand . Jars of Bear Butter can already be found at a host of smaller boutique shops from the Berkshires to Boston , and have also landed on the shelves of major outlets such Big Y and Roche Bros .
Vella hopes that by creating his own Bear Butter headquarters in Great Barrington , he can bring focus to a product that he thinks has a big future . “ Bear Butter is scalable , so it ’ s sort of bigger picture . Large-scale commercial retail isn ’ t ideal . Your margins are next to nothing ; it ' s really not designed for the little guy . If we can make a destination where people come because they know they can get it here , maybe we ’ ll get lines out the door .”
Similar to his Pittsfield store , the Great Barrington location will be housed in an old Subway Sandwich , this one at 323 Main Street . The infrastructure was mostly intact so operations will run much like they do at The Spot . But unlike The Spot , which caters to a more youthful clientele with spray paint murals and a grittier vibe , the Great Barrington location will be brighter and more welcoming to young families , with a mountainscape mural on the wall , plenty of seating , and Bear Butter menu options .
“ Great Barrington seems more family-oriented — this space is going to be a little more inviting for kids and families to hang out here and not necessarily just a grab-and-go spot ,” says Vella ’ s partner , Jenn Kamienski .
The couple , who live in Pittsfield , welcomed the birth of their daughter , Veda , last December and hope to integrate their new family life into the businesses . “ We can create our own schedules , we can bring her to work , and she can grow up in these places ,” says Vella .
Ultimately , they ’ re hoping to become a staple in the community , offering a new option for locals , tourists , and foodies alike . Vella , always the entrepreneur , is already starting to think about what ’ s next . “ If we can make Bear Butter become a main focal point here , we ' ll build up around that and see if Bear Butter shops are really something that can grow beyond the Berkshires .” ■
Find The Fake
Somewhere in this issue is a fake ad . Find it and send your answer to : editorial @ berkshiremag . com
Congratulations to everyone who picked Fauna ’ s Florals in the Spring issue . The winner , selected randomly from a list of all those who entered with the correct answer , is Diane Hall of Housatonic . Winner receives a gift certificate to an area business .
Fauna ’ s Florals
For ALL your Spring Flower Needs !
faunasflorals . com
Ombra Wine – Beer – Food
No Reservations Kitchen till Midnight
27 Housatonic St . Lenox , MA
Ombralenox . com
CREATIVE BUILDING
SOLUTIONS
GENERAL CONTRACTOR DESIGN BUILD
413.528.4935 www . CBSBerkshires . com
82 MAPLE AVE GREAT BARRINGTON , MA 01230
May Holiday / June 2024 2023 BERKSHIRE MAGAZINE // // 105