WHATELY — For two decades, folks could head down to River Road to get ice cream on a hot summer day or enjoy their favorite Polish dish. With the closure of 5J Creamee and Pasiecnik Farmstand, however, that tradition was in jeopardy — until another local farmer and his family stepped up.

Teddy Smiarowski III, of Sunderland’s Smiarowski Farmstand and Creamy, bought the property and has opened Simmers Creamy in the place of 5J, which closed at the end of its 2022 season. Simmers Creamy had a soft opening with ice cream on May 26 and will begin serving fried, Polish and farm stand foods on Saturday, June 10.

While he was not actively seeking out an additional ice cream shop or farm stand, Smiarowski said he had heard some talks about possibly developing the land — including in the original real estate listing for the property — and he decided he could keep the spirit of 5J Creamee and Pasiecnik Farmstand alive, while also ensuring the 32-acre property retains its agricultural character.

“As a family, we’re going to keep farming for generations,” Smiarowski said. “We’re happy to take it over, keep it in the family and keep it local. … We don’t want the land developed.”

Day-to-day operations will be handled by manager Claire Patton, who said the business is “ready to hit the ground running” as summer temperatures increase the demand for ice cream. Smiarowski, as well as his four uncles, will be providing fresh produce, such as the potatoes, asparagus and strawberries the farming family is well-known for.

As the new business grows, Smiarowski said he wants to take some of the successful sales and events that Smiarowski Farmstand and Creamy holds across the river in Sunderland, such as pumpkin displays, and bring them over to Whately.

“We’re keeping it simple. We want to do a good job and keep everyone happy,” he said. “There’s a lot of room and a lot of potential for things to be done.”

Patton said Simmers Creamy has sufficient staff for the ice cream stand, but the business is looking for a cook. Anyone interested in applying should inquire at the stand.

The farm stand has a long history, dating back to the late 1990s, where it was started by James Pasiecnik as little more than a strawberry wagon. Eventually, Pasiecnik bought his father’s potato farm in 2000, and he and his family steadily grew 5J Creamee and Pasiecnik Farmstand into the farm and ice cream stand it is today. Pasiecnik died in January 2022 and his daughters took over the business for that summer. The property was then listed by Coldwell Community Banker Community Realtors this spring.

As Simmers Creamy gets going, Smiarowski said he’d like to dedicate it to his grandmother, Eleanor, who died in February. He also said he knows Pasiecnik would be thrilled to know that his land is still being used for agriculture, rather than development.

“We want to keep it going,” he said.

Simmers Creamy, located at 255 River Road, is open daily. It serves ice cream from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and will be serve food from noon to 7 p.m.

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.

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