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

Today is Martin Luther King Day and although it’s a federal holiday and many people have the day off, please note that there is no trash/recycling delay this week due to the holiday or because of the weather.

Today the town will host the 29th annual town-wide celebration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I always report on this event and will of course be there but also urge anyone who can to attend what is always an inspiring program with a keynote speaker, music, and perspectives shared by students from Conard and Hall. This year’s event will also include the presentation of the first Early Exum Servant Leader award. The celebration begins at 10 a.m. at West Hartford Town Hall, and complete details can be found here. West Hartford Community Interactive will also air the event live on Comcast Channel 5, Frontier 6098, and on YouTube.

Today is also Inauguration Day. And a shout-out to my mother-in-law whose birthday is today, too!

We are continuing to get many comments submitted that readers would like posted to articles on the site – without full names included. I don’t care if the comment is positive or negative, includes valuable information or is petty – if your full name is not provided the comment WILL NOT be posted.

I enjoyed the Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Luncheon at the Pond House on Wednesday. I forgot to take photos of the food spread, but you can read the article here for a great synopsis of the past year’s economic development in town! Or you can wait until you get to the end of the column where the link appears again in the “ICYMI” area.

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law were in town on Saturday and we were looking for a place to grab a quick lunch and chose Nero Kitchen. Our sandwiches were excellent, and the place was hopping! We ran into quite a few friends, and it certainly seems to be living up to its goal of being a community gathering place.

Ted and I also went out to dinner on Saturday night at Salt + Lime – but those photos are part of the bullet point featuring the business below!

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:

• Salt + Lime (179 Park Road) is under new ownership – and while this is a somewhat belated announcement (the sale took place in September), it happened under the radar. They’ve made some interior updates – adding some colorful Mexican-themed decorations to make it look more like a cantina, and made some additions to the menu – and have planned a grand reopening that coincides with a Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting on Jan. 30. This past week I met with the new owner, Roy Adusumilli, and General Manager Eduardo Cruz and then enjoyed a delicious dinner Saturday night that included several of the new menu items. Roy, who is from Canada and now lives in Avon, has a background as a chef, and said when he first visited Salt + Lime, he felt it was someplace special. “I just came here, and sat at the bar, and got a good vibe,” he said, and returned four or five times. He had been looking run a restaurant, and then jumped at the chance when he learned that the business was for sale by previous owners, Julie and Enrique Rodriguez – who had converted it from Americana to Salt + Lime last spring. Roy said he has kept about 90% of the menu, eliminating things that were not popular and adding a few dishes that are being well-received such as crispy empanadas to the appetizers, chile relleno poblano, spicy fish or shrimp tacos, and chicken tikka tacos. The latter is a nod to Roy’s Indian heritage, fusing Indian cuisine with the Mexican-style tacos (lots of flavor – they were delicious!). There’s also a southwest jalapeño burger on the menu, a non-alcoholic beverage menu, and a new Sunday brunch menu with Mexican specialties as well as fried chicken and waffles. Happy Hour is Monday through Friday, from 3 to 6 p.m., and they are also open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.  They are looking to get an entertainment license, Roy said, and hope to offer mariachi music. “All the recipes are from scratch,” said Eduardo, including roasting the tomatoes daily. “We’re trying to elevate the experience,” he added, and both he and Roy emphasized that they want Salt + Lime to be a place that’s inviting to families. “We don’t want to convert this into a party place,” Eduardo said. In the spring, they plan updates to the patios (one is connected to the bar, while the other is part of the restaurant), which will also be made wheelchair accessible. The back room is used for seating when the restaurant is crowded, but accommodates 50 people and can also be rented out for private events. The new menus and other details can be found on the Salt + Lime website. You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram (@saltpluslimect) for updates.

• If you are wondering why Vinted has been closed for a few weeks (there’s a sign on the door that says it’s temporary), here’s the answer – straight from Managing Partner and Executive Chef Michael Voight. “Due to mechanical difficulties with the hood exhaust system and our duct fire sensors in our ductwork we decided to voluntarily close for maintenance,” he said. There was NOT a fire, and they were NOT forced to shut down by the fire department but rather it was done voluntarily to accommodate safety and to be responsible, said Voight. “This was to guarantee the safety of our staff and guests as well as to prevent future fire alarms from taking up valuable fire department resources. When a fire alarm goes off in our restaurant it affects the entire building in Blue Back Square, including Hartford [HealthCare]. Our first priority is always safety,” he said. They thought it would take a week, but there has been difficulty getting the needed parts and a service back-up on the part of their vendor. “We will reopen soon! And look forward to welcoming everyone back!” he said. A reopening date should be announced this week.

• The sign is now up, and the ChoccoDiva plans to open the shop at 282 Park Road (former Edible Arrangements building) by Easter (which this year is April 20) – announced at the Park Road Neighborhood Association meeting last week. While having a brick and mortar location will be new, ChoccoDiva has been has been creating “confections for all occasions” for quite some time. Follow them on Instagram (@choccodiva) for updates and to see photos of those confections!

• Sugar Gen has obtained permits from the town and plans to relocate from 1100 New Britain Avenue, Suite 201, to the former State Farm office space at 11123 New Britain Avenue. According to their website, Sugar Gen specializes in “Safe, Natural, and Eco-Friendly Hair Removal with a Focus on Sustainability,” using sugar. The State Farm office moved down the street several months ago to the Jerry’s Artarama building at 1111 New Britain Avenue. And while it’s in the photo, before you ask … I do not have an update about Cake Gypsy, which is the space next door. I don’t want to publish anything about it until there is a definite opening date.

• I reached out to the developers of the The Byline (920 Farmington Avenue) last week, and according to Brian Zelman, they are planning for occupancy by late spring and will begin leasing soon. “There have been delays due to facade material shortages that could not be substituted and unforeseen underground electric engineering changes which delayed site work, paving etc.,” he said. The exterior is mostly complete, and interior construction is actively underway.

• Nautical Bowls (2527 Albany Avenue in Bishops Corner) has become a certified Kosher store! Over the past few months I’ve worked closely with Rabbi Adler of the Orthodox Kashrut of Connecticut,” owner Mike Smith said. “When Rabbi Adler first approached me about the possibilities of becoming a Kosher Certified store, we were pleasantly surprised to find that many of the products we were using were already kosher certified.” Four of their six primary bases were already Kosher certified, he said, and their vendor was happy to go through the process of re-certifying the other two. “We identified some products with packaging that didn’t have the obvious Kosher certified label. In those situations we contacted those vendors to ask if they were kosher certified. If they were, they quickly provided the necessary documentation we needed. If they weren’t, we asked if they would be willing to go through the certification process. Most were willing but in those rare cases when a vendor wasn’t willing to go through the process we pivoted and found another vendor who was  kosher and had the documentation and/or packaging to support their claim,” said Smith. “So, in addition to being organic, gluten free, soy free, dairy free, and plant-based (with the exception of our honey drizzle and the honey added to our granola), we are now a Kosher certified store as well.”

• Some sad news to report this week: The Russell has closed its location at 39 South Main Street after three years. A reader said she had walked by last week and saw a sign in the window, and I stopped by and confirmed the closure. They are already clearing the furnishings out of the interior and deconstructing the space. The sign on the door states: “It is with a heavy heart that we have made the decision to discontinue operations at this location. We are deeply grateful for your unwavering support throughout our time here. Your patronage has meant the world to us.” The sign also indicates that the full-service restaurant at 187 Allyn Street in Hartford and grab and go at 1084 Main Street in Hartford will remain open. According to The Russell’s Facebook page, the downtown Hartford location has just been remodeled.

• The former lululemom space (the store moved to a much larger space in the Center Court area) at Westfarms, on the upper level of the Nordstrom wing, is now occupied by menswear retailer Regal. Thanks to the Connecticut Scoop for the scoop and the photo! According to Westfarms’ spokesperson Amanda Sirica, the space is larger than Regal’s former location and has allowed the opportunity for Regal to increase their offerings.

• The Hallmark store at Westfarms, located on the lower level of the Nordstrom wing, will be closing at the end of the month. “Hallmark has been a wonderful part of the Westfarms community,” said Amanda Sirica, Westfarms spokesperson. “With all the retailer activity and interest to do business at Westfarms, each location is carefully matched with new offerings for our shoppers. The availability of the Hallmark location will certainly help us fill this demand and we look forward to sharing more details on our newest tenant soon.”
• The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving announced in a news release that West Hartford resident, Dr. Mark Overmyer-Velázquez, has been elected to serve as chair of the volunteer Board of Directors of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving – the community foundation for the 29-town Greater Hartford region that is celebrating its 100th year in 2025. He succeeds Andrew Worthington, who recently completed a two-year term as chair. Overmyer-Velázquez, who was appointed to the Board in 2019, is the inaugural Dean and Chief Administrative Officer of the University of Connecticut-Hartford. He serves and supports UConn Hartford’s students, staff, faculty, and the communities in which they live by advocating for education as the practice of equity and justice. The founding Director of UConn’s El Instituto: Institute of Latina/o, Caribbean & Latin American Studies, Overmyer-Velázquez has his dedicated scholarship and teaching to building intellectual bridges – between historical fields, across the North-South divide, and between the past and the present. He lives in West Hartford and is the parent of three children with his wife, Jordanna Hertz. “The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving is a testament to the power of community,” said Overmyer-Velázquez. “Together, we are supporting Greater Hartford by fostering equity and creating opportunities for communities to overcome obstacles and thrive. It is an honor to work alongside my board colleagues and Foundation staff to support this work and to witness the positive impact generosity and collaboration can achieve.” The HFPG has also announced that Marlene Ibsen was elected vice chair, Beatriz Gutierrez, was elected treasurer of the Board of Directors.

• Congratulations to the West Hartford residents who have been named member of the Board of Leadership Greater Hartford. They include Dr. Jeffrey F. Hines, the Interim Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at the University of Connecticut and Chief Diversity Officer for UConn Health, and Greg Hammond, CFP, CPA,  a financial coach, author, and speaker who is on a mission to make a positive impact in peoples’ lives. and is Chief Executive Officer of Hammond Iles Wealth Advisors.

• The West Hartford-based Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford has announced the appointment of two prominent community leaders, Joshua Gottfried and Pia Rosenberg Toro, to the Board of Trustees. This announcement was made following the annual meeting by Gayle W. Temkin, Chair of the Board of Trustees.Gottfried is the Co-Founder and Principal of Gottfried & Somberg Wealth Management, LLC. Rosenberg Toro is a dedicated philanthropist who is actively involved with the Jewish Community Foundation’s Lillian Fund giving circle. She volunteers with the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford, serving as a member of both the Wallenberg Society and Lion of Judah.

• ICYMI Pepe’s Pizza plans to expand into the vacant adjacent space along the northwest side of the Elmwood Shopping Center. Read the full story here.
• ICYMI, Economic Development Coordinator Kristen Gorski and Economic Development Specialist Lauren Siegel provided a comprehensive overview of the past year at the Chamber of Commerce’s annual Economic Development luncheon at the Pond House on Wednesday. Click here for complete details.
• Groundbreaking for The Elle was held last week. The Elle will be 49-units of mostly affordable housing being developed by Trout Brook Realty Advisors through the repurposing of the former Congregation Agudas Achim synagogue building. The complete story can be found here.

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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