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North Adams Coffeeshop to Reopen as SereniTea Parlor
By Jack Guerino, iBerkshires Staff
02:31AM / Monday, September 05, 2016
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Leanne Wilensky and Todd Hamilton are bringing 'SereniTea' to Ashland Street.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The SereniTea Parlor will pick up where The Parlor coffeehouse left off: with an array of beverages, delicious food and a welcoming atmosphere.
 
New owners Leanne Wilensky and Todd Hamilton have been busy bringing the former Parlor on Ashland Street back to life with a new coat of paint and a refurbished menu before fall hits and school is back in session.
 
"I have wanted a café forever," Wilensky said. "The owners asked on Facebook if anyone was interested and we were. It all just seemed cosmic." 
 
The SereniTea Parlor, formally known as the Parlor, was a favorite hangout of Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts students and locals. Previous owners Jason and Elizabeth Morin created a welcoming environment with fresh coffee and tea as well as live entertainment and open mics.
 
The Morins purchased the Parlor in late 2012 but decided to shut down this spring after putting the business up for sale. It had previously operated as the Elf Parlor, focusing on coffee and vegan options.
 
Hamilton, a North Adams native, said Jason Morin is a childhood friend of his and when he and Wilensky, a New York native, signed the lease in late July, Morin was eager to help them make the transition. 
 
"He has been pretty much bent over backward trying to get us in here," Hamilton said. "He has been doing a lot of the legwork that most existing business owners would not do. I would imagine because he wants to see his baby continue."
 
Wilensky said much of the Parlor's spirit will remain intact and she wants to make sure the new café is just as welcoming as the Parlor.
 
"I think that Jason had created a welcoming atmosphere for everybody and all walks of life," she said. "That kind of spirit is what we want to keep."
 
Hamilton said he has a background in the arts and wants the café to continue to be an incubator for creative people in the community. SereniTea will continue to host open mics, poetry slams, comedy nights and bands.
 
Wilensky said they do plan to expand on the beverage side of the business with a three-page menu with a plethora of coffees, teas and smoothies.
 
"We are going to be very focused on beverages and how to make them and how to maximize health benefits and flavors, that is a passion of mine," Wilensky said. "I have been studying tea for many years and each type of tea has a different water temperature and length of time it should brew ... we want to really take the time to put some love into every beverage." 
 
Hamilton said he wants to have an ever-changing menu that features something new every week.
 
"My hope is that we can introduce new things as we go along and try things out … each week we will have certain specials and there will be new stuff," he said. 
 
"What’s popular we can keep on the menu." 
 
Hamilton said he has worked in many restaurants and knows the business well. Wilensky has other business experience but knows exactly what she wants when it comes to restaurants and cafes.  
 
"My favorite restaurants or cafes are the ones where I walk in and the staff knows me and they know my favorite order or where I like to sit," she said. "They bring over the raw sugar and my favorite tea because they know I want it that way. That makes me feel very special and makes me want to go back so I want to make sure we incorporate that. I want people to feel like this is their place." 
 
SereniTea will hold its grand opening Tuesday, Sept. 6, and will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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