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

It’s the last Monday of February – just a few days before March begins signifying meteorological spring and the banishing of any remaining snowman and/or winter decor from my house.

After what seems like months of ice and arctic cold we finally had some nicer weather on the weekend. Sunday was actually rather pleasant, and the first time in quite a while I’ve strayed from my winter running route (all quiet streets where I don’t have to be on the icy sidewalks) and left the house without my mittens.

The photo below is of my sister’s cat, Olivia. You’re not supposed to bite the hand that feeds you but Olivia apparently was not happy to see my when I went to feed her recently while my sister was away for a few days in a tropical paradise. There was plenty of hissing that went along with the baring of the fangs, but I escaped unharmed and will forgive her because there are definitely times that I feel like hissing at people.

I’ve always enjoyed taking architectural photos, and grabbed this cool shot when after I looked up while sitting in the lobby of the Legislative Office Building last week after covering a press conference about special education funding.

We’ve been cooking a lot of comfort food at home on these cold days (see chili below), but Saturday night Ted and I had an absolutely fabulous dinner at Bricco. We arrived quite early for our reservation so we grabbed a drink at the bar where we ran into tons of people we knew. It was great catching up with friends we haven’t seen in a while!

There were fewer – but still several – attempts at posting commentswithout full names this week but I’m going to repeat this again: PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE (all caps and bold intentional) don’t try to post a comment on a story on this site without using your full name.

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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:

• While it’s hard to get the right angle for a good photo, especially with snow banks to navigate, it’s clear to anyone who regularly drives down Farmington Avenue just east of the Center that there has been continuous progress on construction of The Camelot – 44 units of affordable housing – on the site of the former West Hartford Inn and what was most recently Los Imperios. When I visited the property in October and toured some of the units that were being renovated in the former hotel portion, Lewis Brown, principal of Honeycomb Real Estate Partners, which is developing the project in partnership with Vesta Corporation, Corridor Ventures, and Vallone Ventures, said work would be done by March or April, and in a conversation on Friday, Brown said they are still on track. “We’re on schedule,” he said, and should be ready to welcome residents by May. “We’ve completed all units on the hotel side, and are almost done on the other side,” he said. While the hotel side was completely gutted, the structure remained, but the other portion of the development is completely new construction. That’s where the common areas (community room, fitness center, etc.) will be, and sheet-rocking of those areas will being shortly. “Most of the interior will be complete by the end of March,” said Brown, and I’ll share some photos from a tour in a few weeks. The façade is nearing completion as well, but some of the exterior work, including paving and landscaping, will have to wait for the ground to thaw. Brown is pleased with the aesthetics of the building, and how it presents on the northeast corner of Farmington Avenue and Trout Brook Drive. “We’re really proud of it, and most importantly it will be a place for people to enjoy West Hartford who couldn’t otherwise live here,” Brown said. The 44 units will be a mix of 24 one-bedroom and 20 two-bedroom units. All of the units at The Camelot will be classified as affordable housing for residents at various levels of income eligibility, ranging from those earning less than 30% of area median income (AMI) to 80% of AMI. Brown said that 22 of the units will be for those earning 80% of AMI or less, which the other half of the units will be evenly split between and reserved for applicants with incomes of 50% and 30% AMI. For more information about leasing, visit the website.

• Congratulations to LaToya Fernandez Yagaloff and her husband, Adam Yagaloff, on the grand opening on Saturday of their new space, Beyond Circles, at 127 Park Road. LaToya, who is a member of the West Hartford Board of Education and restorative practices consultant, and Adam, who is a defense attorney, were on the hunt for their own office space outside the home, but there was also another idea in the back of their minds. “We always wanted a place where the community could gather,” she said, a space where she could teach and train. “We always wanted to have used books, and CBD, and shea butter, and herbal tea.” The 127 Park Road space was formerly Kim Colapietro’s Let It Bloom Gift Shop, which she closed when her landscaping business really took off – and it’s perfect for their vision, LaToya said. She said the space will be available for use by book clubs and various other groups, including West Hartford Pride which is already planning to meet there. They’ve got the books, CBD products, teas, and shea butter for sale, but there is also complimentary coffee and tea available for those who are using the space, and a community lending library. When entering the building, the first space is the used bookstore, the middle section has comfortable seating and a selection of books by local authors, and in the rear is a large room for community groups, and where LaToya also plans to teach yoga. Beyond Circles is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from noon to 7 p.m., and. closed Sundays.

• Planning is well underway for Celebrate! West Hartford which returns on Saturday and Sunday, June 7 and 8, 2025, and will once again be backed by major financial sponsorship from PeoplesBank. With a gift of $10,000 in support of the town’s signature community event, PeoplesBank secures its position as the Presenting Sponsor for four years running, “This commitment demonstrates PeoplesBank’s commitment to investing in our community,” said event director Linda Geisler. “Celebrate! West Hartford is a not-for-profit, self-sustaining event. We depend on sponsorship funds to produce the festival and ensure it is free for the public to attend.” Now in it’s 38th year, Celebrate! West Hartford is a two-day outdoor festival which takes place on the grounds of Town Hall and draws nearly 40,000 visitors. Highlights of the event include a juried Arts & Crafts Show, a Business & Non-Profit Expo, carnival rides and games, food court, live music, and 5K race and Kids’ K FUNd Runs.b“At PeoplesBank, we are committed to our associates, customers, and community. We are proud to support Celebrate! West Hartford, as this event not only brings our community together in a meaningful way, but also integrates our associates into the celebration, enhancing business development and community spirit. We appreciate the hard work of all of the volunteers who stage Celebrate! West Hartford each year,” said Ryan Young, West Hartford Banking Center Manager. Applications are now being accepted for sponsors, non-profits, food vendors and artists to participate. “Any local organization that is community-minded will benefit from participating in Celebrate! West Hartford. The exposure you will enjoy isn’t available at any other event in town,” said co-chair Peter Travers. It takes more than 1,000 hours of volunteer work to make Celebrate! West Hartford happen – and I’ve been one of those volunteers, manning Info Booth No. 2 for most of the festival for the past 10 years. “We are always looking for and happy to welcome new volunteers. It is a fun event to be a part of with a great group of people,” said co-chair Marsha Jacobskind. More information can be found at the website: CelebrateWestHartford.com.

• As part of the “Read Across Connecticut” celebration, Blue Back Square is partnering with the Connecticut Education Foundation (CEF) and iHeartRadio to host a book drive and kids event on Saturday, March 1, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Blue Back Square courtyard outside Barnes & Noble. CEF, the charitable arm of the Connecticut Education Association, is collecting new or like-new children’s books for ages K through Grade for distribution to educators and Little Free Libraries across the state. “Come on out to enjoy kids’ activities, arts & crafts, face painting, and so much more! Radio personality Amanda Jo will be on site with the iHeart Communities team with giveaways, music, games, and fun. There will also be a special story time at 11 a.m. inside Barnes & Noble!” an announcement from Blue Back Square states.

• After a four-year hiatus, Social Hour has returned to Max’s Oyster Bar at 964 Farmington Avenue in West Hartford Center, Managing Partner/Owner Bob Cooke said. Social Hour is now Sunday through Thursday, from 3 to 5 p.m., and you can find the menu below.

• Spotted on the way back from my Sunday run in the Center: The Friendly Toast sign is up at 36 LaSalle Road!

• The West Hartford United Methodist Church is having a food drive to support the West Hartford Food Pantry through March 31. Unopened/unexpired foods may be dropped off 24/7 in the bin by the front door of the church, advised the coordinator. Canned fruits & vegetables, tuna, chicken, pasta, shelf stable milk, peanut butter, cereals, and crackers are among the most requested items.

• “So many families have been impacted by severe weather and natural disasters across the country over the past several months. Myself and my team wanted to help,” Anthony Vidal, franchise owner of Massage Envy in West Hartford’s Bishops Corner (as well as the West Farm and South Windsor locations) said in an email. “As a result, I committed $5,000 of the business revenue in February and March from aromatherapy massage enhancements.” As of a week ago, they had raised $765 ($210 of that from West Hartford) has been donated through this effort to the American Red Cross wildfire relief efforts. Participants in the fundraiser also receive a Massage Envy–branded heart stress reliever as a free gift.

• Because I know people will ask, I’m putting this here as a bullet point. I don’t have any update on Park Lane Pizza. I am trying (I did knock very loudly on the locked door when I stopped by to take this photo last week but no one seemed to be there), and will share any information I can get.

• The Place 2 Be is celebrating National Pancake Day by giving away free pancakes at the following locations: New Haven, Downtown Hartford, and West Hartford (Blue Back Square) on Tuesday, March 4. In the spirit of community and giving back, guests will have the opportunity to make an optional donation in lieu of purchase, with 100% of proceeds benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs. “At The Place 2 Be, we believe in bringing people together over great food while also making a difference,” Gina Luari, Owner of The Place 2 Be and Board Member of the Hartford Boys and Girls Board, said in a news release. “National Pancake Day is the perfect opportunity to treat our guests to something special while supporting an incredible organization that empowers local youth.” No purchase is necessary, and the pancakes are available during regular hours (7 a.m.-8 p.m. in West Hartford), and all donations will directly support the Boys & Girls Club’s mission to provide mentorship, programs, and resources for kids in our communities.

• Next Monday, the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce will host the 2025 Mayor’s State of the Town Address. The format changed last year from a luncheon to an early evening event in order to be more accessible and allow more participation from residents, business professionals, town employees, and others in the community, and this year it will again be held in the early evening, from 5 to 7 p.m., at the Mandell JCC. The event will begin in the Innovation Center with the presentation by Mayor Shari Cantor, who will discuss the past year and plans for the future. After the presentation, a reception will be held in the Chase Gallery. Tickets for the presentation only are $15 for Chamber members and $20 for non-members, and tickets to attend both the presentation and reception are $55 for Chamber members and $65 for non-members. Due to limited space, tickets to the reception are first-come, first-served. All tickets can be purchased here.

• ICYMI, coming up next weekend is the Rotary Club of West Hartford Vines of March fundraiser at Town Hall. Click here for details.

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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