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

Welcome to the first Monday of August! This is one of my favorite months and for me a chance to really appreciate summer.

As I say every year at this time, I especially love this time of year – which features our annual family vacation to Nantucket – and this year we are so lucky to be spending time over the next few weeks with not only Ted’s mom but with our kids (we hope for a few days with the newlyweds if they have time after returning from their honeymoon), our grandchildren, Ted’s brother and his family, and our new daughter-in-law’s family who we see every August and who have already been like family for many years!

The news never stops, but I’m hoping that West Hartford remains relatively quiet for the next two weeks. And thanks in advance to Melissa Cole, Roz Green, Maddie O’Connor, Paul Palmer, and other collaborators for holding down the fort while I am away. They’ve all got some really great stories in the pipeline!

One of my favorite stories I’ve reported on lately: A West Hartford woman, her two young girls, and her young niece were the first to report a significant house fire on Park Road last month, but there’s much more to it than that. In case you missed it, you can read the full story here.

August tends to be a quiet month for business news, and barring anything I am not yet aware of that materializes, next week will one of those rare weeks when Business Buzz takes a vacation. I’m planning to save the buzz that would appear next Monday for the Aug. 17 edition. Also, while there will still be a newsletter on Monday, Aug. 10 (just without Business Buzz) there will NOT be a newsletter published on Friday, Aug. 7, or Friday, Aug. 14. News will still be posted to the We-Ha.com site, and shared on social media, so you can keep up that way!

A few food photos below feature a common theme: pizza! I had pizza for three of four meals last week, including a summer pie from Pepe’s last Sunday night (after I had already finished my column), sausage and Franklin Ave pizza at The Brownstone on Monday during their friends and family very soft opening (they are fully in soft opening phase now), and mashed potato pizza from Little City in Avon at my grandson “Champ’s” third birthday celebration on Monday! Also pictured: stadium food at the Yard Goats game on Tuesday night.

Before leaving town, we also enjoyed a yummy dinner on the patio at Black Bamboo!

We had a few people who submitted comments this past week without last names – and one who used a fake email as well (got an error message when I tried to email asking for a full name). Thank you to all who comment with your full names, and avoid making personal attacks! Please note that it has been our policy for several years that full names be used when commenting directly on the site – with the exception of those commenters who were grandfathered when they commented prior to the policy being updated. Please comply or your comment will not be published.

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].

**************************************************

Here’s this week’s Buzz:

• I’ve been writing this Business Buzz column for a very long time (even before we launched We-Ha.com in 2014), but this featured story ranks up there with those I have been most excited about: El Pollo Guapo will be opening later this year at 1240 Farmington Avenue! They will be located in Sunset Triangle, in the space that was most recently Kitchen Plate and for years before that was Boston Market. After hearing the news from property owner Robert Udolf last week, I had a chance to speak with Matt LeBlanc, a West Hartford resident since 2009 who owns El Pollo Guapo with his wife, Heather, and Roy and Heather Riedl. “We’re super excited,” Matt LeBlanc said. El Pollo Guapo, which specializes in rotisserie chicken, bowls, fresh side dishes, tacos, and salads, opened in Wethersfield in 2017, and later relocated to Newington, and this will be their fourth location (in addition to 1044 Main Street, Newington, they have restaurants at 26 Front Street in Hartford and 347 New London Turnpike in Glastonbury) in Connecticut and fifth overall. (I privately shared this news with my daughter and her husband, who used to live near the original restaurant, and they were so excited and declared El Pollo Guapo’s bowls the best ever.) “We have been waiting for this location to pop up,” said Matt, who lives walking distance from the Farmington Avenue space and originally hoped to lease it after Boston Market closed, but the timing wasn’t right because they were opening the Charleston, SC, restaurant and at the time Kitchen Plate, which closed earlier this year, leased it instead. “I always had my eye on that space,” he said, but was waiting for the opportunity to arise. They signed the lease last week, and hope to open as soon as possible. There’s not much to be done, he said.. “We need to ‘guapo-ize’ it,” he said, painting it in the El Pollo Guapo colors and installing rotisseries for their signature chicken. The menu at all El Pollo Guapo locations is essentially the same, although they do allow the chef at each location to create their own specials. The Riedls, who now live in South Carolina and run the Charleston location, originally owned the Mercado food truck (which still operates as the Guapo Taco Truck, now in South Carolina), and brought Matt and Heather LeBlanc into the business as partners when they expanded to a brick and mortar concept. “We are super excited about West Hartford. We think it will be one of our best locations,” Matt LeBlanc said. Udolf, who bought the building in April 2026, agrees. “I think they’re a perfect fit for the neighborhood with fresh food, a great concept. We’re thrilled to welcome El Pollo Guapo to the neighborhood,” Udolf said. Much more to come as the opening nears, and to whet your taste buds, below are some photos of dishes from El Pollo Guapo.

• Bliss Matcha & Beyond had their soft opening on Saturday, Aug. 1 at their new location at 981 Farmington Avenue (former Boost Bowls), and I had a chance for a sneak peek on Friday – and a chance to sample a delicious and refreshing Strawberry Matcha Latte (made with fresh strawberries that are mixed with a bit of jam, coconut milk, and Uji matcha). Ariel Shi, and her partner, have opened their second location in West Hartford Center, where they love the vibe and foot traffic. Their original location is in New Haven, and people have been traveling there all the way from Springfield, so they are hoping to quickly have a local following. As the name implies, matcha is the main menu item, and they offer milk-based matcha lattes along with fruit-based and pure matcha, tea, and “no-matcha-for-me-today” beverages. There are also desserts including banana puddings and soft serve ice cream (vanilla, matcha, or swirl). The Strawberry Matcha Latte is a best-seller in New Haven, and another popular, as is the Mango Slushy. They emphasize fresh fruit and other natural and high quality ingredients, and are committed to only using true Uji matcha from Japan. They told me that the West Hartford location, “is a good place to start with our Connecticut expansion,” and more stores will follow. The grand opening and ribbon cutting with the Chamber of Commerce is scheduled for Aug. 7 at 10 a.m. And yes, they knew that Farmington Avenue would be under construction during the opening (it’s directly in front of the store right now) but know that it’s just temporary. See more photos at the end of the column of the matcha-making in progress!

• There were two great openings at Westfarms last week, including premium Swiss chocolatier Läderach, which was founded in 1962 in Switzerland, had a soft opening Friday and grand opening Saturday on the upper level of the Nordstrom wing. This is the first Läderach store in Connecticut, one of 10 new locations in 2026 and follows successful launches in Cherry Creek in Denver and City Creek Center in Salt Lake City. The “fresh, artisan chocolate” is truly and decadently delicious, as I experienced personally when I visited Friday. “We are thrilled to introduce our fresh Swiss chocolate to Central Connecticut at Westfarms.  This new store reflects our growing customer base and our confidence in the North American market. With additional locations planned this year, we remain focused on bringing handcrafted chocolate experiences to even more communities” said Warren Dunkelberger, President of Läderach North America. The signature FrischSchoggi counter features artisanal slabs of fresh chocolate (if you like chocolate – and very few people don’t – this is an amazing thing to see), from which customers may select their favorite combinations as our chocolatiers expertly break off pieces to be purchased by weight. They also offer single-origin tablet bars, seasonal assortments, and a rotation of exclusive new creations including the best-selling FrischSchoggi Dubai Milk (which I was lucky to also sample). All products are “crafted in Switzerland to the highest standards of quality and freshness.” For more information, visit www.laderach.com or follow on social media @laderach_na.

• Also open as of last week at Westfarms is Barnes & Noble, which held a grand opening and ribbon cutting on Wednesday morning, celebrating the reopening of what was the Farmington store at 1599 SE Road. (The new store, where Forever 21 was previously located, is technically in the West Hartford portion of Westfarms which spans the two towns, but still being called the Farmington location.) Local author and sportswriter with Hearst Connecticut Media, was honored to cut the ribbon, and host a book signing for his newly released book, “UConn Men’s Basketball: An Illustrated Timeline.” He said he had approached the Farmington store management about a book signing before it closed. “They said we’re opening a new store, and maybe you can do it there,” and that just happened to coincide with the grand opening, which was a “great opportunity,” he said. Store Manager Andrew Cohen, who along with the rest of the staff moved down the street from the Farmington, said he is glad to have the new store open. “We had this wonderful opportunity to move in here, and it’s just exciting to be back, and everything is brand new and bright and shiny.” At 22,000 square feet, he said the new location is about 2,000 square feet larger than the previous store. “We’re super excited for foot traffic,” he said, and it’s easy for people to stop by and see what they have to offer – which includes not only books of all types for all ages, but also games, toys, vinyl records, gifts, gift wrap, and much more. A few photos are below, and because I was excited to see everything they had to offer and went overboard with my camera, more photos are at the end of the column.

• The Brownstone is now fully in their soft opening phase, and I had a chance for a sneak peek and sample of their delicious pizza (see photos in intro above) on Monday before the soft open on Tuesday. They received their provisional liquor license, too, and the full bar is gearing up during the soft opening, too!

• We featured Ramp Fitness (635 New Park Avenue) in last week’s column, and owner Becky Hoisl Johnston has confirmed the grand opening date of Aug. 15, with a ribbon cutting at noon and light refreshments. You can read all about the new fitness facility “where everyone works out” here.

• The shopping center at 176-178 Newington Road, that includes Stop & Shop, Crazy Bruce’s Liquors, and Dollar Tree, has a new owner. The entity Elmwood Development LLC (Levy Legacy Group) purchased the property for $7.42 million from West Hartford Grocery Center II DST on June 29. The shopping center opened in the fall of 2010, and while those three main tenants have been successful mainstays, the former Slider’s space has been vacant for years, as have some smaller storefronts and the free-standing former Farmington Bank building. “Our team is excited for what’s in store at Elmwood Plaza in West Hartford. SullivanHayes has been retained to manage and lease the shopping center on behalf of new ownership Levy Legacy Group. Levy has big plans for breathing new life into the property, and we can’t wait to play a role in its reinvention!” SullivanHayes shared in a recent Instagram post.

• Sweatfluence has announced an opening date of Sept. 26, for their new yoga studio, in a portion of the former West Elm space  at 87 Memorial Road in Blue Back Square. Build-out is still underway, and I can’t wait to see the completed space. For more about Sweatfluence, click here.

• A few demolition projects are imminent, including the former St. Brigid School at 100 Mayflower Street (future site of the new Elmwood Community Center), the former Cunningham Supply at 705 Oakwood Avenue (future fueling station for the town), and the former UConn Library at 1800 Asylum Avenue (future Heritage Park). All are being prepped for demolition and I’m anticipating all three will be gone in the next few weeks.

• XES Beauty Room owner Evelyn Mason-Miller shared that her business is partnering with partner with HerScan for a special breast ultrasound screening event on Sept. 16, 2026, at their West Hartford Center location (1000 Farmington Avenue location, Suite 105). “I am thrilled by the community’s response! 19 women have already booked their screening appointments, and we now have only 7 appointments remaining,” she said. “The strong response demonstrates the importance of providing women with convenient access to proactive breast health screenings. With 1 in 8 women diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, I believe it is important to encourage women to prioritize their breast health. HerScan provides private, non-invasive breast ultrasound screenings with convenient scheduling and no referral required.” The screening is available for $295 (a value of more than $1,100), she said. Women interested in participating are encouraged to reserve their appointment soon: HerScan.com.

• From a news release: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Connecticut is proud to recognize Liberty Bank Foundation (LBF) for its generous grant in support of the organization’s Community-Based and Big Futures Mentoring programs. LBF’s $10,000 grant will help expand Connecticut children’s access to one-to-one mentoring and broaden. Liberty Bank and BBBSCT have been collaborating for nearly two decades, working together to strengthen opportunities for youth, families, and communities throughout the state. Through the BBBSCT Community-Based Mentoring Program, BBBS staff match children with caring adult mentors who provide support and encouragement. The program helps young people build confidence, strengthen their social-emotional skills, and feel connected to a trusted role model outside of school and home. The BBBSCT Big Futures Program supports young people as they begin preparing for life after high school, helping them explore education and training opportunities, develop leadership and life skills, and build the tools they need to pursue their goals with confidence. 2026 marks Big Brothers Big Sisters of Connecticut’s 60th anniversary, six decades of matching young people across Connecticut with caring mentors. To date, the BBBSCT has served more than 100,000 children statewide. Grants like this one from the Liberty Bank Foundation enable BBBSCT to enroll hundreds of new children in programming each year without ever charging a family for participation. “Liberty Bank Foundation’s longstanding support and generosity have been an important element of our success,” said West Hartford resident Andy Fleischmann, President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Connecticut. “When community partners step forward in this way, our team can create lasting mentoring relationships that inspire confidence, expand opportunity, and open doors for the youth we serve. We are deeply grateful for Liberty Bank’s partnership,” he said. “At Liberty, we care deeply about the communities we serve, and we partner with various organizations in our quest to make a meaningful difference in our communities. This includes Big Brothers Big Sisters of Connecticut,” said Liberty Bank President and CEO David W. Glidden, who also serves as President of the Liberty Bank Foundation. “Our children are our future, and together, we can help them learn and grow.” Thanks to partners like Liberty Bank, BBBSCT continues to expand its impact and help more young people across Connecticut. To learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Connecticut or to become a mentor, visit the website or donate here.

• Home for Good (591 New Park Avenue) has expanded their hours and will be open later during two weekday evenings and a bit later on Saturdays. The new hours, effective Aug. 5, are: Tuesday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Wednesday: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Thursday: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Friday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Saturday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. More information about Home for Good can be found here.

• Last week there was much more visible progress on the construction that is taking place as part of the West Hartford Center Infrastructure Master Plan. Most of the sidewalk on the south side of Farmington Avenue between Music & Arts and Jenny Andre Hair & Skin Spa has been completed, and as of Friday afternoon Zohara’s patio was back open, and although a sudden rainstorm had delayed the opening of the sidewalk at the intersection with LaSalle Road, the contractor said it would be completely done by Saturday. The wooden plank “bridges” over the wet concrete on the north side of the road are gone, and construction is now ramping up on the south side of the road, from Bluemercury to BK&Co. Also happening concurrently is paving of Farmington Avenue east of Main Street, where a separated bike lane is being installed, and much of that work is complete. Please note that all businesses remain open and accessible during the construction!

• More great progress of the construction of the new Animal Control facility on Brixton Street. It’s really taken shape over the past few weeks!

• Today’s sad news: I have confirmed with owner Sonny Chen that Gong Cha at 932 Farmington Avenue in West Hartford Center, which opened in the former Subway location in 2022, has closed permanently. I don’t have any additional details but will follow up and update as soon as possible.

• Did you know …

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

Like what you see here? Click here to subscribe to We-Ha’s newsletter so you’ll always be in the know about what’s happening in West Hartford! Click the blue button below to become a supporter of We-Ha.com and our efforts to continue producing quality journalism.