ASHFIELD — The Selectboard has approved an on-site, all-alcohol liquor license for Wicked Good Café at Elmer’s Community Center.
“It’s an extremely exciting growth opportunity as we want to get into events and community-based things,” said owner Allison Nottingham.
Nottingham said the restaurant at 396 Main St. plans to serve wine, beer and smaller cocktails, as well as the spirits associated with those cocktails. With this expanded liquor license, Wicked Good Café also plans to extend its hours. Currently, the restaurant is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday through Monday, but Nottingham said this new license and the eventual hiring of a cook will allow the café to be open until 8 p.m. all four days.
She hopes to eventually add Tuesday to the rotation as well, combating what she described as a “food desert” in Ashfield.
“The kitchen will close at 8 and events could maybe go further past that, but that’ll be our kitchen hours,” Nottingham said. “In Ashfield, but it kind of spreads out to all of the hilltowns, it’s a food desert. We would kind of like to fill that space, as we ourselves get frustrated that we can’t find anything to eat on Tuesdays.”
Nottingham said that as a breakfast place primarily, Wicked Good Café is not interested in being a late-night bar. She mentioned the Ashfield Lake House is already serving that purpose, and that expanded hours will turn the café into an earlier dinner restaurant.
“We’re excited because we want to get into events here, it being a community center,” Nottingham said. “We think some evening events like trivia night, open mic night like the Elmer’s board did … I think that those two kind of go hand in hand for the evening events — people want a glass of wine or a beer with their dinner. We’re just excited for all of the expansion that will come … with a liquor license and our hours expanding.”
