ASHFIELD — When Nan Parati came from New Orleans to Ashfield in 2005, she not only re-invented her own life but sparked new life into a moribund business called Elmer’s.
With no restaurant experience, Parati transformed the vacant, 1835-built country store into a restaurant, art gallery, gift shop and popular gathering place for the community.
And now, 13 years later, Elmer’s will be sold. Parati plans to sell both her restaurant and the 1795-built Inn at Norton Hill to a couple from Germany. Forencia and Andreas Auer of Frankfort, Germany, visited Ashfield last summer, stayed at the inn and fell in love with the town, as Parati had done years earlier.
According to Parati, the Auers will be moving to Ashfield in May, and will start learning the business, for a smooth transition. Parati said the sale of Elmer’s is scheduled to take place on July 1.
Parati said she is letting people know about the pending sale to stem rumors about the restaurant’s future.
When Parati asked the Auers why they wanted to buy her restaurant, Forencia Auers said she has wanted to run a business like Elmer’s for a long time and had looked for the perfect business in many places. She told Parati: “When I came to Ashfield, I felt this was my place.”
“That they have that same kind of excitement and passion that I had is the most important thing to me,” said Parati. She said Forencia Auers already has restaurant and catering experience.
Parati plans to continue living in Ashfield, but is looking for some time away from the business. Besides running Elmer’s, Parati has has been an art director for the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans for 34 years. What brought Parati to Franklin County in 2005 was her job in art work and decor for the Green River Festival. She also does art for the Newport, R.I., Jazz and Folk Festival. Around Christmas, Parati designs and decorates downtown centers in Greenfield, Amherst, Brattleboro, Vt. and Wilmington, Vt.