MARION — After closing in January 2020, the Ansel S. Gurney House will be reopening soon with new cafe ownership and a jewelry and crystal shop, Strawberry Moon.

Both Ansel’s Cafe and Strawberry Moon hope to open in June if coronavirus restrictions are relaxed.

Though it has a new name, Ansel’s Cafe will have its original menu. The only changes will be a fresh coat of paint on the walls, and expanded hours to offer breakfast.  

The new owner is Elizabeth Carter, a former cafe employee for nine years who managed it for the last three years.

The shop and cafe closed when former owner Debbie Gunschel retired after 43 years. 

When Carter was helping clear out the store, she had the idea of reopening the cafe. Asking the Gunschels was nerve-wracking, Carter said, but they were “way more than excited” that she wanted to take over the business.

“They’re like family to me,” Carter said. 

Strawberry Moon owner Andrea MacDonald used to go to that same cafe with her family growing up in Rochester.

When she heard of its closing, she mustered up the courage to ask “Deb” about its future in December, “and fast forward here we are.”

The store will feature Ansel Gurney favorites such as women’s clothes and accessories, kids toys and home goods. But the shop will also feature signature Strawberry Moon goods like plants, crystals, handmade jewelry and unique items from local artists.

“My vision for this space is to continue to be a go-to place for gifts and hopefully a treat for yourself,” MacDonald said.

The Marion location will be a sister shop to MacDonald’s original store she opened in 2017 in Dartmouth. The flagship location was even inspired by the Gurney House.

With its opening, Carter will be able to work at the house once again, and MacDonald will be able to relive the joy that the Ansel Gurney House brought her when she was a child.