PITTSFIELD — Iztac Mexican Restaurant on North Street will not be reopening after its lease was terminated in late March, according to the building owner.

The restaurant, located at 156 North St., had been closed since March 13 after a routine health inspection noted live cockroach activity in the main kitchen.

“The recent shutdown by the Health Department was sort of the straw that broke the back,” said Steve Oakes, owner of the Shipton Building that includes the Iztac storefront.

Dissatisfied with restaurant owner Gabriel Columna’s attempts to remedy the infestation, Oakes said he moved to sever Iztac’s lease, effective at the end of March.

“The day after I terminated [the owner’s] lease, I sent in a cleaning crew and contracted pest control [services], and, frankly, changed the locks,” Oakes said.

Oakes added that he is currently in talks with a potential tenant to open a “fine dining” establishment in the now-vacant restaurant space, which he plans to renovate.

Reached briefly by phone Monday, Columna confirmed Iztac is no longer serving food but would not elaborate on the restaurant’s future.

Loretta Mach, an attorney who has previously represented Columna, declined to comment via a person who answered the phone at the firm.

Iztac originally opened as Pancho’s Mexican Restaurant on North Street in 2005. Columna took over the restaurant in 2022 from its previous owner, Jesus Chairez.

In 2025, the business rebranded from Pancho’s to Iztac Mexican Restaurant. Under Columna’s leadership, the restaurant’s flavors shifted to reflect the cuisine of Puebla, the Mexican state he grew up in.

The restaurant has been disciplined in recent years by the licensing board following police reports of fighting, disturbances and underage drinking. On March 23, it received a two-week liquor license suspension following an allegation that underage patrons had been served.

A closure hearing was scheduled for an April 8 Board of Health meeting, but Columna had requested more time due to the lease situation, according to Andy Cambi, the city’s director of public health.

Cambi said Columna failed to display adequate urgency when presented with health and sanitation concerns.

“There was a lack of ownership of the problem,” he said. “We tried multiple attempts to really show the seriousness of the situation. And we were not getting compliance with good inspections. You know, there would be times that we would have some compliance but not complete compliance.”

By the time the March inspection took place, “we kind of reached our final point of giving an opportunity for corrective action,” Cambi said. “And so we had to do an emergency closure.”

The Iztac storefront is part of the Shipton Building, a four-story historic building Oakes purchased in 2018 for $2.15 million. Oakes said when he initially bought the building he had a positive relationship with Pancho’s, but in recent years has been disappointed by its new management.

“I bought the building embracing the tenancy for a Mexican restaurant,” Oakes said. “And my impression was that it was, you know, moderately popular. And I thought it added character to the building and the neighborhood, but it kind of went downhill when the new proprietor took over.”

While disappointed at how Iztac’s tenancy ended, Oakes is optimistic about finding a new tenant with a vision that matches his own.

“One of the things that was part of my decision to not continue the lease for [Iztac] was that I think the neighborhood is ready for a more fine-dining experience,” he said. “And it's going to be good for the neighborhood and good for the building, with its entourage of some-60 professional tenants that, you know, are looking for a place for lunch. ... It's actually more of a very positive thing rather than mourning a restaurant going out of business.”