About Jason

Jason “J” Macioge believes that fine foods and fine wines, along with elegant and styled atmospheres are the keys to any successful establishment.  Whether you’re serving fine French food or “awesome” Pizza, atmosphere, attention to details, great service and most importantly, great food are the keys to a great restaurant- Jason has seamlessly created five restaurants capturing the essence of those details.

Born in Washington, D.C., Jason’s parents packed the car in and headed to the very small, yet very cultured town of Lenox, Massachusetts (a.k.a. the Berkshires).  At the age of 13 Jason headed to Bishops College School, just outside of Montreal, Canada, and began high school.  Jason then went on to Carleton University, where he began his love affair with the restaurant business. While attending classes at Carleton, Jason met his mentor and good friend, Ion Aimers founder of The Works Gourmet Burger Bistro chain.  Ion inspired Jason to create ideas that were innovative and that were “necessary.”  With hard work and a great vision, Jason knew that this was the business for him.

In 1993 Jason started his first company called Buddy Boys’ Specialty Foods. He started off with one flavor of a unique award winning Sweet & Spicy BBQ sauce that was sold all over the United States, Canada & London England in specialty food stores such as Dean & Deluca and Harrods in London. The company went on to produce six different flavors off sauce as well as one of the “worlds best” Bloody Mary mixes that have won numerous competitions. Jason’s flagship Sweet & Spicy Sauce was also picked up and sold by all of the Trader Joe’s stores located throughout the country.

In 1999, Jason opened his first restaurant in Lenox, Bistro Zinc.  A classic French Bistro with a modern flare and a fantastic bar scene.  Soon after the successful launch of Bistro Zinc, Jason went back to the drawing board and developed the idea for Pearl’s – a sophisticated American Steakhouse with classic modern design, located in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Pearl’s opened in 2001 and has been a hit with tourists and locals alike.

Jason is always thinking about what his next step is, so, in 2002 he decided to open up yet another restaurant, this time (something different!) a pizza joint. Betty’s Pizza Shack made its Lenox debut in 2002 as a funky pizza shack decked out with surfboards, palm trees and vibrant colors.

In 2004, Jason opened Fin Sushi and Sake Bar.  Fin brings innovative Japanese cuisine, packed in a fantastically hip atmosphere, to both the local and visiting clientele of the Berkshires and beyond.

In 2007 Jason opened Frankie’s Ristorante Italiano also located in Lenox. At Frankie’s you can find the kind of real, hand-made Italian food that you’ve been looking for, just like your Mamma used to make.

Jason was also chosen as a contestant to appear on Americas Great Next Restaurant that aired on NBC during spring 2011. Jason was chosen out of a field of over 20,000 applicants to pitch his restaurant ideas to Celebrity Chef Bobby Flay and Chipotle Mexican Grill Founder Steve Ells. Jason filmed the series in May 2010 in Los Angeles.

Jason’s most recent project is a novel “Only The Names Have Changed” that was published by Gadd Books in July 2011. It was an exciting project that has been a smashing success.

A man of exceptionally high personal standards, Jason values genuine collaboration. He has successfully assembled an expert staff that shares his philosophy and vision, enabling him to concentrate on his many varied interests.

Jason currently lives in the Berkshires and is kept company by his two extremely energetic basset hounds, Bubba and Peaches. They have been voted “The Best Dogs in the Berkshires” for the last 2 years in a row!