A round-up of openings, closings, and other news about West Hartford businesses. 

Business Buzz is sponsored by NBT Bank, and we are very thankful for their support! 

By Ronni Newton

I waited to finish this introduction until after the fantastic UConn women’s basketball team won its 12th championship!! Such an amazing run, and a great win by the Huskies!!

I was afraid to even upload this photo I took of my UConn garden flag until after the win.

And yes, I’m very sad about Duke’s loss Saturday night. Superstitious as I am, I *may* have blamed Millie – who usually wants to be outside while we watch basketball (and which seems to bring good luck) because she doesn’t like it when my voice gets too animated – but who was inside when Duke started blowing their lead. She still looked a bit sad about it on Sunday morning. (She got a belly rub moments after this photo was taken – but she did stay outside for the UConn women’s win!)

April showers are bringing April flowers, and I try every day to fully appreciate the the cheerful bright yellow daffodils along my driveway and in my backyard. There are also some cheery petite daffodils near the side door of Town Hall, and those are a welcome site when heading into budget hearings or other meetings. And on that note, last week the Board of Education passed its budget (click here to read the story), and please be aware that the Town Council will hold its second public hearing on the budget on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

I finally had a chance to eat at the new Sally’s Apizza at Westfarms on Monday, and it was amazing! I tried the “Angel Fire” pizza – a white pie topped with Cloud23 hot habanero chicken, pepperoni, clouds of whipped ricotta, and Beckham’s Cloud23 sweet pepperoni jalapeño pepperoni sauce. It’s a specialty that’s available for a limited time and is a collaboration between Sally’s head chef Bret Lunsford and entrepreneur and food enthusiast Brooklyn Peltz Beckham – the oldest son of David Beckham and Victoria Beckham.

I dined with Amanda Sirica, spokesperson for Westfarms – and we definitely did not eat all this food in one sitting – but we did make a good dent in it!

I definitely had some yummy food this week – but much of it wasn’t high on the healthiness scale. There’s a link in the bullet points below to the Yard Goats food showcase which offered media a chance to photograph and sample some of this year’s extreme offerings. Note that while I did hold up that 2-foot-long hotdog to take a photo, I did not eat it!

Saturday night’s dinner was at Tavern in the Square, which afforded a great opportunity for viewing the Florida vs. Auburn basketball game, perfectly accompanied by some local draft beers (Alvarium Phresh and New Park Cloudscape), Bang Bang Broccoli, Sesame Salmon Bowl, and Korean Crispy Chicken sandwich.

Don’t be a troll; follow the rules. Below is our new troll monitor that Business Manager Bob Carr created with some help from ChatGPT. He’s watching for those who attempt to comment without their full name, or using a fake email, or with personal attacks. He may be emailing you soon …

This week’s troll count: two emails.

If you are a long term, regular advertiser on We-Ha.com and have a 60 to 75 word submission for a future Business Buzz please send to Bob Carr at [email protected]. You can also contact Bob if you are interested in becoming a sponsor of a section of the site.

If you have information to share about local businesses, please provide details in the comments or email Ronni Newton at [email protected].

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Here’s this week’s Buzz:

• The build-out is complete and West Hartford’s newest cannabis retailer, Fine Fettle, is ready to welcome customers at 1232 Farmington Avenue, with the opening date planned for April 18 and a grand opening on April 25. This will be West Hartford’s third (and final, based on the conditions of an ordinance adopted by the Town Council in May 2024) retail establishment, and the ninth (Waterbury opened on Feb, 7)  in Connecticut for Fine Fettle, which is owned by West Hartford native Ben Zachs, the company’s Chief Operating Officer. Some of the company’s locations in Connecticut are medical dispensaries, and others are hybrid, but the West Hartford location is a recreational-use retailer, said Regional Manager Andrew Johnson – also from West Hartford and a Hall High School graduate – who gave me a tour of the completed space on Friday. Fine Fettle applied last June for a permit to open in the Sunset Triangle area (across from Stop & Shop) in the space formerly occupied by Liberty Bank, that had been vacant since the bank closed in 2021. To enter Fine Fettle’s retail space you must be 21 or older, and show your valid ID in the check-in area, where those who place online orders also must verify their identity. After gaining entry to the retail space, there are six point-of-sale registers, all staffed by employees who guide customers through the process of deciding what to purchase. “Flower and vapes, and pre-rolls are our best-sellers,” Johnson said, but they appreciate that not all customers are familiar with the various products. “We will always look to understand the customer first,” he said, and to understand why they are looking to purchase a cannabis product, whether it’s for relaxation, to enhance creativity, or for a more uplifting/intoxicating experience. They also ask about previous experience with cannabis as they review the menu of available products – which changes based on what’s available from Connecticut growers (they must purchase from in-state producers) – and which also includes edibles and infused beverages. “It’s a personal preference of taste and effects. We want to build a relationship with customers,” said Johnson, adding that Fine Fettle’s motto is “comfort in cannabis.” He said for an inexperienced cannabis user, a beverage – which comes in various flavors such as lemon-lime and raspberry and tastes like seltzer – might be a good option because it works quickly but you can easily control how much you drink. Some of the beverages are also balanced with CBD. State law restricts special deals that can be offered by cannabis establishments, but Fine Fettle does hold merchandise giveaways, Johnson said, and also has a point-based loyalty club that includes all of their locations throughout the country (they also operate in Massachusetts and Georgia), and allows customers to earn up to $50 off. There are also special coupons available for birthdays and other events, and those who make a purchase at the West Hartford location on the first day will get a lifetime 15% discount at that location. Discounts are available for seniors (over 60), veterans, and students (over 21). Most of the Fine Fettle locations will be planning celebrations on April 20 (aka 4/20 – a date that has become synonymous with cannabis consumption), but that won’t yet be happening this year in West Hartford, although Johnson said they are hopeful they will have been open for a few days by then. The retail space is highlighted by a colorful mural created by local artist Jillian Goeler, who also painted a mural at Fine Fettle’s Manchester location and whose work is also in Blue Back Square. Vendors, “who all offer a wide variety of categories,” also have displays in the retail area, Johnson said. Purchases can be made with cash or debit cards. There’s a $3 fee for use of a debit card, and an ATM on-site with a $2 transaction fee. For more information, visit the Fine Fettle website.

• The permitting process and actual work is well underway for Level99, with work now visible on the sidewalk in front of what will be the entrance as the business plans to open by the end of the year, owner Matt DuPlessie told me in February. “The designs are looking great, this is going to be a beautiful venue – for dining, gameplay, and events,” he said previously. Level99 is West Hartford’s first business to utilize the “experiential retail” ordinance the Town Council adopted in 2017 in order to attract this type of business and they will be partnering with Two Road Brewing Company for the dining aspect of the business which will feature Detroit-style pizza as well as a seasonally-inspired scratch-based menu and beers and innovative cocktails at the Two Roads Kitchen & Tap. Level99 will include more than 50 “mental and physical challenges set in immersive artistic environments” in the 41,426 square foot space that can accommodate up to 600 players engaged in “social, physical, mental, and skill-based challenges in an open-world environment,” plus 250 diners. Level99, which currently has locations in Natick, MA as well as Providence. More information about Level99 can be found here.

• Congratulations to Max Burger, celebrating its milestone 15th anniversary at 124 LaSalle Road in West Hartford Center! They’ve got multiple specials and promotions taking place throughout the month – and we also received a reminder from Max Hospitality that as the construction ramps up for the West Hartford Center infrastructure reconstruction, both Max Burger and their other restaurant on LaSalle Road – Savoy Pizzeria (32 LaSalle Road) – will remain open for for business as usual. “Exciting changes are happening outside, but inside Max Burger and Savoy Pizzeria, it’s business as usual! While curb and sidewalk construction is underway in West Hartford Center, our doors remain open, and we’re ready to serve you the delicious food and exceptional service you love.Avoid the construction with ample parking in the Town Center Garage at 29 Main St.  It’s only a two minute walk to either restaurant! ‘We appreciate the patience and support of our loyal customers during this time,’ said Scott Smith, CEO of Max Hospitality. ‘We’re committed to providing the same welcoming atmosphere you’ve come to expect from Savoy and Max Burger.'”

• The rest of the businesses in West Hartford Center are open for business as usual as well, and hope that the construction won’t be a deterrent. “The West Hartford Center Business Association will be keeping the public informed through social media channels, local news outlets and directly at the business level,” Irene O’Connor, director of Public Relations for Linked Media told me in a statement made on behalf of the West Hartford Center Business Association. “The Town of West Hartford has done a great job at keeping business owners involved throughout the planning process, offering resources and hearing our concerns as the project develops.” I attended the West Hartford Center Business Association meeting last week and had a chance to meet the construction manager and received some updates on the project which you can find here. The photo below was taken on Saturday, as work proceeds on the project.

• Caffé Aronne is now open in Center Court at Westfarms, in the space where Starbucks was located before it moved inside Macy’s. “It’s been great, it’s been fantastic,” Caffé Aronne owner Aaron Dahan said of the reception they are already receiving in just the first few days of being open at Westfarms. Caffé Aronne has two locations in Manhattan, in the West Village and on the Upper Side, and a franchise location in Madison, Wisconsin, and of course I wondered why Westfarms. In a phone interview, Dahan told me that during the pandemic they had done a few pop-ups in Taubman properties in Florida (Tampa and Sarasota) and he really thinks highly of the company, but Florida was just too far from his New York home for a permanent location. When he learned that the space at Westfarms Center Court – much closer to home – opened up, he checked it out and immediately loved the space. As for what makes the coffee special, Dahan shared the following: “Our big point of difference is our beans and our roasting. We have made it our mission to work only with farms that are all organic and run by indigenous communities through South America, Central America, and Africa. We work primarily with farms in Peru, Honduras, and Uganda, as well as a new farm in Ethiopia. As the seasons change, so does our sourcing. Right now we are in week 2 of our Honduras season! Other than that, we work carefully to be sure all our products used such as cups, lids, and napkins are all made of recyclable and recycled materials and we are proud to say that all our products, aside from the coffee beans themselves and some teas, are made in the USA and grown in the USA. We feel that community is what makes a coffee shop. We call ourselves ‘the community living room,’ and it really is that! Without community we have nothing. So we work to keep the money and business within our communities, supporting other local small businesses,” he said. It wasn’t open yet when I was at Westfarms last Monday, but I will be sampling the coffee very soon! More details about Caffé Aronne can be found on their website.

• In other Westfarms news, there are two other businesses in the works. China Wok is being built out in the former Au Bon Pain space, and Unsettled Geeks will be taking over the former Blue Moon space. Thanks to the Connecticut Scoop for the tips – and we will provide updates when more information is available.
• Deangelo’s Wine & Liquor will be taking over the Everest Package Store space space at 148 Shield Street. Permitting is underway but the new sign is not yet up.

• “It’s spring, and Elmwood is about to bloom,” said Pamela Hilborn at Friday morning’s Elmwood Business Association meeting, held at GastroPark. She said that as part of Elmwood Blooms, there have been anywhere from 45 to 60 planters , placed, planted, and maintained by KNOX, Inc., which partnered with the Elmwood Business Association on the beautification project. KNOX, rather than Charlie Hilborn, will be taking the lead this year in securing sponsorship of the planters, and more information and the link to order can be found here.

• “Taste of … 2025” will be held on Monday, April 28, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Back Nine Tavern at Stanley Golf Course. The event, which will feature food from Back Nine, Chick-fil-A, and others, will benefit West Hartford-based nonprofit Friends of Feeney. For tickets ($30 each or four for $100) are available at TasteOf.Eventbrite.com. Contact Tom, [email protected], to be a restaurant, sponsor, or non-food exhibitor, or with any questions!

• The Easter Bunny is greeting visitors in Bunnyville – a three-dimensional town for kids to explore in Center Court of Westfarms. Bunnyville features many places to visit including Hoppin’ Fresh Bakery, Hare Salon, and 24 Carrot Bank. The last stop along the adventure is an opportunity to visit with the Easter Bunny and have photos taken. Those who visit the Easter Bunny will receive a complimentary gift (while supplies last). This special family-friendly holiday experience is being offered exclusively at Westfarms through April 19. This annual event is free for the public to attend with professional photos also available for purchase. More information can be found here.

• Click here to listen to the latest installment of the “On the Scene” podcast, where On The Scene hosts Tom Hickey and Bob Carr talk with Dr. M. Stephen Miller, guest curator at the New Britain Museum of American Art, about the exhibit of Shaker furniture and the Shaker community. Podcasts can also be found at the bottom of the home page on the revamped We-Ha.com website!

• ICYMI, the Yard Goats opened their 2025 season on Friday! They hosted media day last week, which included a showcase of this year’s Dunkin’ Park stadium food. Complete details can be found here.
• ICYMI, the West Hartford Together Community Fund is seeking applications for its fifth round of grants. Click here for details.
• There’s new leadership at the Seniors Job Bank. Click here for the complete story.

Remember, if you have any business news to share, add it in the comments section below or email Ronni Newton at [email protected].

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