Max Zeller Furs will remain in West Hartford Center, announcing plans to move across Farmington Avenue.

By Ronni Newton

Max Zeller Furs will be changing just one digit of its address as the longtime West Hartford Center retailer relocates across Farmington Avenue.

“We found a new home in the Center,” said co-owner Kevin Zeller in a phone interview. Max Zeller Furs will be moving from 976 Farmington Avenue – where they had been located since November 2003 – across the street to 977 Farmington Avenue.

“We’ve had a great run in our current location,” Zeller said. But, he said, unfortunately in 2023 CVS closed in the space next door, and then the former landlord decided to sell the building to Market Hospitality Group. Last month, MHG announced plans for a complete transformation of the building to include two restaurant concepts on the ground floor and the addition of a second story with five residential units.

MHG was extremely accommodating and kind to them, Zeller said, and they were able to time their move to take place during the slower summer season. They are very glad to be able to stay in the Center, too.

“We’ve currently vacated that spot,” Zeller said of the 976 Farmington Avenue store, and build-out will commence shortly at 977 Farmington Avenue, in a lower level space that has been vacant for several years. Westfield Bank opened their offices at 977 Farmington Avenue in 2020, but the lower level had not been used since previous tenant Cookshop Plus moved around the corner to 60 LaSalle Road in 2019. Many longtime residents may also recall that lower level space as the clearance sale area during the era when Rugged Bear was the tenant.

Westfield Bank,  977 Farmington Ave. in West Hartford Center. (we-ha.com file photo)

Max Zeller Furs is hoping to complete the build-out and reopen by Oct. 1, and are looking forward to having more square footage and space to display more merchandise in the larger footprint. The old store was about 1,300 square feet and the new space will be roughly 2,000 square feet.

“It gives us a chance to take a long vacation,” added Michael Zeller, Kevin Zeller’s brother and co-owner. While they won’t have a presence in West Hartford for a few months, however, the West Springfield, Massachusetts store (1772 Riverdale Street) is still open and unaffected by the move.

Max Zeller Furs is now in its fourth generation of family ownership. The business was started in Springfield by its namesake, Kevin and Michael’s grandfather Max Zeller, in 1922.

976-978 Farmington Avenue was sold to Market Hospitality Group in September 2024. Photo credit: Ronni Newton (we-ha.com file photo)

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