Ashfield’s Wicked Good Café is trading in its strictly daytime vibe for something a little more evening friendly. The Ashfield Selectboard has signed off on an on-site, all-alcohol liquor license for the small Main Street spot inside Elmer’s Community Center, clearing the way for beer, wine and smaller cocktails, longer hours and more community events.
Owner Allison Nottingham says the move is about growth, not turning the cozy café into a rowdy late-night bar. The plan is more dinner service and community nights than nightclub energy.
Nottingham called the liquor license “an extremely exciting growth opportunity,” as reported by the Greenfield Recorder. The Recorder reports the Selectboard approved the on-site, all-alcohol permit and that Nottingham intends to serve wine, beer and smaller cocktails while expanding the café’s schedule. She also told the paper she hopes the extended hours will help address what she described as a local “food desert.”
A Home Inside Elmer’s Community Center
Wicked Good Café operates inside Elmer’s Community Center at 396 Main St., a nonprofit that bought and renovated the historic building and now rents space to the café, according to Elmer's Community. The community board has used the building for concerts, pop-up cafés and rentals while partnering with the café to keep overhead low and preserve the space as a neighborhood gathering spot.
Hours, Service And Evening Events
Right now, Wicked Good Café is mostly a morning and early afternoon operation. Nottingham told the Greenfield Recorder that with the new license, the kitchen will stay open until about 8 p.m. on dinner nights, and she plans to hire a cook to support an expanded menu. Evenings, she said, will focus on community programming such as trivia and open mic nights rather than late-night drinking. The kitchen will close at 8 p.m., although events may run later.
Part Of A Broader Revival
The liquor license is the latest chapter in a longer comeback story for Elmer’s. A steering committee purchased the property, secured a $381,232 MassDevelopment Underutilized Properties Program grant for repairs and brought the building back to life with the opening of Wicked Good Café in March 2025, as reported by the Daily Hampshire Gazette. The revival has leaned on volunteers, grants and local partnerships to restore food service to the village.
Locals can keep an eye on Elmer’s event calendar and the café’s page for updated hours, schedules and special nights, according to Elmer's Community. Nottingham said the expansion will roll out gradually, with staffing and services added step by step, all with the goal of keeping Wicked Good Café rooted firmly in Ashfield’s community life.
