West Hartford Business Buzz: August 3, 2015

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

By Ronni Newton

How did it get to be August already? This summer is flying by, but I still hope to savor every last minute of my kids’s summer vacations as well as patio, garden, and beach time.

We’ve got several bits of restaurant news for you this week, although unfortunately not all of it is positive. One is not quite recent news, but it’s a closing we somehow missed until it was mentioned by an alert reader this past week.

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:

Koma will open in Bishops Corner in West Hartford in August. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

We’ll start with some good news! The renovation is nearly complete and Koma Japanese Steakhouse, located at 345 North Main St. in Bishops Corner, is getting ready to open within the next few weeks. “Definitely sometime in August,” said Manager Chris Chen. Chen said that the restaurant will feature Japanese hibachi as well as sushi. “We will have a huge bar and be open for lunch as well as late night,” Chen said. The menu in the expansive Bishops Corner restaurant (former Sakura Garden space) that seats more than 200 people is extensive, and offers other Asian specialties as well. There’s even a “West Hartford” roll – a piece that includes shrimp, salmon, cucumber, avocado, and Tempura flakes with “flying fish egg” on top. The restaurant’s decor is “very Asian,” Chen said, with Buddha statues lining the entryway and Asian-style artwork covering the walls.
Peck & Pour has closed, and the building owner is advertising for a new tenant. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Damon’s Tavern has gone out of business. ICYMI, we reported last week that the once-popular sports bar and casual restaurant, located just across the street from the West Hartford line on Prospect Avenue, has closed for good. Damon’s changed ownership in 2014. Click here for more details.
Another restaurant closure is one that we somehow missed. Peck & Pour, which just opened in December 2014 in the former Brownstone Cafe space on Oakwood Avenue, has apparently been closed for a few months. A sign on the building indicates that the space is for lease. The website is gone and there is no phone number to call. Does anyone have more details?
Salon Medusa will move to Bishops Corner on Aug. 20. Courtesy photo

On a more positive note, Salon Medusa is moving to a new space in the Crossroads Plaza in Bishops Corner. The following is from a press release about the move: After over a decade in West Hartford Center, the salon owners, Steven Adelstein and Sandro Vernali, are excited to be joining the business community in Bishops Corner. “We were ready for a change,” says Vernali, “and Bishops Corner is a perfect fit for us.” Vernali cites the many diverse businesses, convenient location, and abundant and free parking as the main attractions of Bishops Corner. “The entire area has been undergoing a resurgence, and we are thrilled to be a part of it.” The stylists offer a variety of services, from highlights to ombre, blow-outs to up-dos, and beautiful cuts, colors, and styles, all in a funky, fun, and relaxed atmosphere. In addition to providing clients with the very best in hair, Salon Medusa believes strongly in giving back to the community, and supports several local charities, as well as showcasing the work of local artists. According to Salon Medusa’s representative, renovation will be complete on the Bishops Corner space, the fomer home of Anna’s Beautiful Nails, with an opening scheduled for Aug. 20.
To end on a very positive note, we congratulate John Green, president of Lux Bond & Green, who was presented with the annual Lifetime Achievement Award at the American Gem Society’s Circle of Distinction dinner, held last week at the historic Plaza Hotel in New York City. Green is a member of the fourth generation of his family to head Lux Bond & Green, which has approximately 100 employees in seven stores in Connecticut and Massachusetts. According to the American Gem Society, “the honor is given to individuals who have made significant contributions to the industry throughout their career.”