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

By Ronni Newton

Hanging out with other West Hartford residents on Nantucket! From left: Matt Udal, Betsy Udal, Ronni Newton, Ted Newton, Kris Atkins, Tom Atkins

I wasn’t sure I would be able to find enough business news to write this column this week, but even though many West Hartford-ites are either on vacation or delivering children to college campuses, there is still plenty of information to be shared.

Although I’m 30 miles south of Cape Cod, out in the middle of the ocean, it’s hard to be totally away from West Hartford. Ted and I had a chance to visit with some other West Hartford residents who were also on Nantucket, and even had a chance to sample a New Park Brewing Blender-Raspberry (so awesome!), courtesy of brewery co-owner Tom Atkins.

New Park Brewing Blender-Raspberry. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

I’ll be on vacation for a few more days, but will continue to make sure people are informed about what’s happening in West Hartford during breaks from beaching, biking, and eating and drinking way too much. And thank you to Ryley McGinnis, Maddie Geerlof, Joy Taylor, and Ted Glanzer, whose by-lines have appeared on We-Ha.com while I am away.

The weather finally cooled down a bit on Sunday, and even out here the stores are filled with fall clothes and other fall merchandise. More people are leaving on the ferries than are arriving, including in our house where we had 10 people and now there are just three of us. The moment I am dragged off the beach and return to West Hartford later this week, I’ll be facing the end of summer, in back-to-school mode preparing to help Sam move into his campus apartment at UConn. Both kids start the fall semester on Monday.

If you have tips about businesses opening or closing, or doing something worth sharing, please provide that information in the comments or email Ronni Newton at [email protected].

Here’s this week’s Buzz:

• Essential Health is getting very close to opening day, which will be sometime in late August! Located at 74 Park Rd, West Hartford, the wellness center is lead by Dr. Allie Mendelson, DC, who having grown her practice in Farmington for the past 10 years, is joining forces with her husband David to relocate Talcott Family Chiropractic TFC Healthfoods and expand to West Hartford. The unique destination on Park Road will offers a collection of services to support a natural lifestyle to optimize health and to avoid and to provide relief from chronic health problems. Anchored by Dr. Mendelson’s chiropractic practice, Essential Health also features a natural health food store supporting her functional approach. Anyone on a low sugar, low carb diet will be delighted by the variety available to them. In addition, Essential Health’s signature food program is a pasture-raised meats service, offering a wide selection of the cleanest beef, pork, chicken, and more at low prices via an online order program. Many local Connecticut farms are suppliers. For more information, visit their website and look for a complete feature story once the business opens.
  

  Spirit Halloween is opening in the former Toys R Us store in Corbin’s Corner. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

• One more sure sign of summer coming to an end is the opening of Spirit, the pop-up Halloween store. It appears that Spirit will be popping up in the former Toys R Us store in Corbin’s Corner, and a sign in the window indicates that they are hiring.
• Tax Free Week began on Sunday, Aug. 19, and runs through Aug. 25. Purchases of clothing and shoes, for adults and children, that are less than $100 per item will not be subject to the 6.35 percent state sales tax. Tax Free Week is intended to provide some relief to those shopping for back-to-school items, but note that it only applies to clothing and footwear – and that does not include specialized footwear like cleats. Backpacks and school supplies are also excluded and subject to tax. Students returning to college should be aware that if they have a valid college ID their college textbooks are exempt from the state sales tax throughout the year. Click here for details on the Department of Revenue Services website about what is and isn’t included.
• Congratulations to the Green Teahouse, which celebrated its 10th year in business on Saturday at its 55 Isham Rd. location in Blue Back Square. It looks like everyone had a great time sampling special teas and food items, and enjoying other family-friendly activities.
• September is Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month, and in West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor has made it official by signing a proclamation. “Pulmonary Fibrosis is a devastating group of progressive diseases that causes scarring of the lungs, limiting oxygen intake. As a result, the brain, heart and other organs do not get the required oxygen needed in order to function properly. There is no known cure for Pulmonary Fibrosis,” a resident and member of the Pulmonary Fibrosis community said in a message to We-Ha.com. To raise awareness of the diseases, businesses in West Hartford are being invoted to “Go Blue” on one or more evenings during the month of September honoring Pulmonary Fibrosis awareness month. “Any building owners participating in this blue lighting initiative will be featured in this year’s #BlueUp4PF social media campaign, which reached 128,000 people on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram in 2017,” the message stated. The LED color of the Foundation’s signature blue is RGB 0/160/175. 
  

  We-Ha Pop-Up in Bishops Corner. Courtesy photo

• Speaking of Tax Free Week, We-Ha Vineyard Vines and HALO portable power has a limited selection of merchandise available just in time for Connecticut Tax Free week and back to school specials. Limited supply of Vineyard Vines belts, totes (perfect for laptops), Polos shirts, Sheps and ties (sorry but the hats have sold out). HALO portable power is not tax free, but definitely a back-to-school need. The pop up will be open Tuesday through Thursday on the lower level of Marshalls/Home Goods plaza, next to West Hartford Podiatry, Abby Dabby, and Subway. The street address is 2523 Albany Ave. Hours of the Pop-Up are: Tuesday: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 5-7 p.m.; Wednesday: 7-9 a.m. and 11 a.m.-1 p.m.; and Thursday: 7-9 a.m., 11 a.m.-1 p.m., and  5-7 p.m..
• Time to laugh some more! We-Ha HA! Comedy Night will return on the last Tuesday of the month (Aug. 28) at Blue Back Square’s World of Beer. Come to eat and socialize and get in your seat by 7 p.m., and the acts will start around 7:30 p.m. World of Beer will have special event seating near the stage. Reservations (suggested donation is just $25) can be made through this link. Headliner will be Anthony DeVito (as seen on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert), and other performers are being secured by Paul Gregory. Steven Fischman Comedy, aka Dr. Steven A. Fischman Orthodontics LLC is host sponsor. Please call 860-508-4032 if you have questions.
• This week’s sad news is that according to a very reliable source, the Elizabeth Grady Salon at 1000 Farmington Ave. in West Hartford Center will be closing at the end of the month.
• ICYMI – Ted Glanzer checked out Skeleton Key and Deadbolt – the newly-opened adventure emporium and associated restaurant in Blue Back Square. For the complete story, click here.