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

I hope everyone had a great weekend and is enjoying the summer.

I do miss being at the beach, and am already looking forward to a return in August, but it wasn’t so bad getting back to the regular routine, especially during a quiet time of the year.  We were met with a very unwelcome sight when we returned home late last Sunday night – some animal had completely decimated our all of our flowers! The geraniums munched down so that barely a stem remained (the savagely-severed flowers were left lying there next to or in the pots), and the sunflowers are also totally gone. Even the spike plants in our pots were partially eaten. We bought a backyard camera so we can at least see the culprit, although there’s not much left to attract any animal.

Today is the anniversary of “gotcha day” for Millie! We brought her home on July 14, 2019, and our lives have never been the same.

Millie and I had a great time at GastroPark on Thursday, meeting the other Millie – a 3-year-old Bernadoodle owned by wedding photographer Nick Rezendes (@nickrezendesphotography). Nick’s Millie, a frequent guest at GastroPark where he often does his photo editing, is the actual inspiration for the Millie in the mural (created by Sophie Groenstein), but he agreed that it very much looks like my Millie, too. Turns out Nick has actually photographed weddings for a few people I know, and it was great to connect with him.

While at GastroPark, I also saw the mural that’s the inspiration for today’s lead story!

And while on the topic of furry animals, below are photos of Fiddlehead, who was hanging out in a tree near West Hartford Center on Sunday afternoon. She is a female yearling, and she is tagged and also is being tracked by DEEP through a special collar that you can see in my photo (taken with my phone, which is all I had with me). Officials are hoping that people leave her alone and let her come down on her own and move along when she’s ready.

There is so much construction going on all over town that rather than including updates in this column, I’m writing a separate story. I have updates about the work underway in the Center, and I drove around and took photos of the quick-build installations and other road construction projects as well since I think it’s much easier to understand what’s been done if it can be visualized.

I don’t have any West Hartford restaurant photos this week – although I did have an amazing dinner at Sparrow on Thursday night at the RM Bradley 50th anniversary celebration. Adam Greenberg and David Boyajian were given pretty much free rein to create a menu (it was not the regular Sparrow menu, which I also love) and I could not help eating what was probably three meals worth of delicious food before I rolled home. There were scallops topped with radishes in a pea shoot puree, crab cakes, lamb lollipops, tuna poke, lobster rolls, prawns – and those were just the hors d’oeuvres! The buffet dinner included filet, roast chicken, artichoke salad, potatoes, roasted broccoli, and probably some other things I am forgetting. And the desserts included creme brûlée, churros, and some amazing chocolate deliciousness that I can’t even label. I regret not taking any photos, other than of company President and CEO Shane Mulready speaking (see below).

Our Saturday night dinner was at the Flanders Fish Market – a central location for meeting Ted’s cousin and his wife from Barrington, RI and his brother and wife from New Canaan. I had not been there since I stopped editing a shoreline lifestyle magazine (at least 15 years ago) but the food was excellent and it was a great spot for a group of six to catch up. We shared the apps, and the photo below was my dinner.

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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:

• I’ve been a fan of GastroPark since the beginning (I was actually writing about it even before that, when it was still in the dream stage, before the town passed the ordinance allowing a food truck park) – and the place keeps getting even cooler. In addition to the dog mural, and some other great murals, there is now a customized Jurassic Park-GastroPark mural created by the famed Corey Pane – who is also a West Hartford resident. GastroPark owner Tate Norden said he was so excited that Pane agreed to do the mural, which was in progress while GastroPark had a special “Jurassic Park Day” on July 2. “We have been wanting to work with Corey for some time and decided to use Jurassic Day, a popular recurring event we first did in 2022, as the first of hopefully many projects,” Norden said. “Corey’s talent and creativity is unreal so we gave him very simple creative direction and otherwise let him run with it. The title of the mural needed to be ‘Small business finds a way,’ and Jeff Goldblum needed to be in it,” he said. The “Small business finds a way …” slogan indeed found its way into the mural, and I reached out to Pane to find out how he came up with the design. “They had the idea that they always wanted to do something with the Jurassic Park theme with Jeff Goldblum. In the movie Jeff Goldblum’s character says ‘life finds a way’ … So they wanted to incorporate small business and the theme of ‘small business finds a way,'” Pane said. “So I chose to create a T-Rex dinosaur in the background made up of different things that represent small business and what you might see at the GastroPark. They gave me freedom with the design to make it my own and do what I felt is best within the overall theme. It’s always nice as an artist to have that freedom,” said Pane. It took him three or four days to complete, he said. Pane is a Conard High School graduate and renowned artist whose most visible local work is likely the MLK39 racial equity mural which was unveiled in 2021, and encompasses two walls of the West Hartford Public Library’s Noah Webster Branch along the western entrance to Blue Back Square. He also created the “Greetings from …” mural on the side of 977 Farmington Avenue, leading to the parking lot, and many other works throughout Connecticut (including the “Just Grow” mural in Hartford) and throughout the country. I had a hard time photographing the overall mural because every time I went by there were cars in the way, but here are the photos, along with some photos of the mural in progress. It’s best to see it in person!

• The former gas station/convenience store at Park Road and Kingston Street has has been vacant for many months, but not for much longer. “We just closed on the property this week at 141 Park Road, West Hartford. The site was previously operated under Supreme Gas and Valero, and while it’s been a bit of an eyesore in town, we’re excited to turn it into something the community can be proud of,” said Hussnain Gondal, CEO of RoadRunners Petroleum Marketing in an email last week. “We’ll be fully renovating the convenience store, updating the exterior, and upgrading the fueling area. But most importantly, RoadRunners is known across dozens of towns in Connecticut for one key reason: we keep gas prices low — no membership fees, no gimmicks, just transparent pricing and fully stocked, clean stores,” he said. “This location is a big step in our continued growth in Hartford County, and we’re excited to serve the people of West Hartford with the same honest value and friendly service we’re known for.” I’ll be sure to announce the opening plans!

• I have recently been getting some questions about the status of Paris Baguette opening in Corbin’s Corner, since there was no visible work being done on the site and a “for lease” sign remained – but then I learned that the window decals were installed last week! Paris Baguette will be located in the former Verizon store space, between Nothing Bundt Cakes and the J.Crew Factory Outlet store. According to its website, Paris Baguette doesn’t currently have any locations in the state but has two in the Boston area and multiple locations in New York.

• I was wandering around Westfarms on Friday while waiting for my favorite shoes to be repaired at Hakky (okay, there was some shopping happening, too), and that prompted a follow-up on a tip I had gotten from Connecticut Scoop about Kilim moving into the former Forever 21 space on the lower level near Macy’s. Westfarms spokesperson Amanda Sirica confirmed the move, and said Kilim is expanding and should open in that space by the end of the summer. She also shared that “American Eagle is confirmed to re-open its all-new, renovated store next week.”

• I also saw this barrier while walking around and thought it was really cool. I included the news about Zumiez opening in a round-up of Westfarms updates in this column a month ago, but had forgotten about this one since I had not taken the photo. Zumiez, a leading specialty retailer for young men and women who want to express their individuality through apparel, footwear, accessories and skateboards will be opening in the Nordstrom wing this summer. The 2,867-square-foot store features the most popular streetwear brands including Affliction, Ed Hardy, Empyre, FB County, Von Dutch, and Plan B skateboards, to name a few.

• Congratulations to RM Bradley Management on their 50th anniversary, which (as noted above) was celebrated at an event at Sparrow on July 10 that featured an amazing menu created by owners David Boyajian and Adam Greenberg. RM Bradley is a third party property management company and a commercial real estate brokerage firm, and among the properties they manage are 977 Farmington Avenue and a large swath of LaSalle Road owned by LaSalle Road Partners II LLC. “Employing just under 100 personnel, RM Bradley provides trusted advice and highly responsive brokerage, asset management, property management and advisory services to a wide range of individuals, companies, government agencies, condominium associations, nonprofit organizations, and health care organizations totaling over 7 million square feet, said President and CEO (and West Hartford resident) Shane Mulready, who manages the daily operations of the family-owned firm founded by her father, Richard Mulready of West Hartford, a half-century ago. According to Shane Mulready, the firm was originally called Servus Corporation when it was founded in July 1975 by Richard Mulready with the backing of David Chase and Jerome Gross. “David Chase was the developer of the Gold Building and hired Servus Corporation as its first property management firm,” Mulready said. Servus Corporation changed its name to Servus Management in July 1980, founded Servus Development Corporation in August 1980, and after purchasing RM Bradley Management in Boston in 2011, changed the company name to RM Bradley because of the greater name recognition in the Boston market – where Mulready said they plan to grow their business. The company’s first development project was housing on the corner of Raymond Road and Burr Street in West Hartford, and a few years later they constructed the 800 Mountain Road development in West Hartford. Locally, she said, the next large project was the construction of the Metro Center garage just off the 1-84/I-91 interchange – a 1,200 vehicle, one-directional garage, and then the Metro Center office building was soon constructed and was originally occupied entirely by Cigna. As Servus Management, the company also won the first third party management contract for the CT Department of Administrative Services at 505 Hudson Street in Hartford. Currently they manage around 65 properties totaling about 7 million square feet, mostly in Connecticut but with some in Massachusetts. “We are currently trying to expand in both our brokerage and management divisions both in Connecticut and Massachusetts, and will soon be launching all new social media pages,” she said.

• Congratulations to the West Hartford office of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties (970 Farmington Avenue) which announced that several of their top-performing agents and teams have been nationally recognized in the 2025 RealTrends Verified Rankings, which highlight the top 1.5% of real estate professionals in the country based on 2024 sales performance. The following were honored: Lepore Eagan Team – Recognized as among the Top 1,000 Agents and Teams Nationally; Abend Conary Team; Sciarra Mok Team; Hoye Home Team; Tony Buccheri; and Becky Koladis. According to the news release from Berkshire Hathaway, “These rankings are a prestigious industry benchmark, celebrating agents and teams who consistently deliver exceptional service, expert guidance, and outstanding results for their clients.” Jessica Beganski, Office Leader, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties – West Hartford, said, “We are incredibly proud to see our West Hartford agents ranked among the top professionals in the nation. Their commitment to excellence continues to elevate our entire office and the clients we serve.”

• In celebration of its 200th anniversary, Liberty Bank decided to give $1,825 to a local organization in each of the towns where it has a branch. Ultimately, it is donating a total of $87,600 to 48 organizations. The organizations were selected by Liberty Bank customers. More than 10,000 votes were tallied. Liberty Bank’s branch in West Hartford (970 Farmington Avenue) gave a $1,825 donation to The Village for Families & Children. “It’s very important for Liberty to give back – to invest in the community,” said President and CEO David W. Glidden in a news release. “We would not be around for two centuries if it weren’t for the people and organizations that have supported us. We are celebrating this milestone anniversary by paying it forward.” Joshua Almeida, Liberty Bank’s branch manager in West Hartford, said,  “The Village for Families & Children is a wonderful organization that does so much for West Hartfor. It’s our honor to support them and to give back to our community.” In addition to donating to the 48 nonprofits, according to the news release, Liberty Bank Foundation is celebrating the bank’s anniversary by donating $250,000 to Make-A-Wish, and it will partner with Hands on Hartford to provide more than 200 weekend meal kits for children in need. Working with the Max Restaurant Group, Liberty Bank will donate 200 Thanksgiving dinner boxes to area families in need, and it will build 200 bikes that will be donated to the Boys & Girls Club of Hartford. Teammates also recently assembled more than 200 Birthday Boxes to be delivered to local pantries across Liberty’s footprint so that families have everything they need to enjoy their own birthday celebrations at home.

• The West Hartford-based Bridge Family Center announced in a news release that they proudly welcome Helen Drohan, Jason Goddard, John Keleher, and Suzanne Miller to their Board of Directors. Each member will serve a three-year term. Drohan, a retired registered nurse, has served in various nursing roles since 1979; Goddard, a local attorney, is returning to the Board after a brief hiatus; Keleher is a 30-year veteran of the US Army Reserve and retired director of athletics; and Miller is a member of the Children’s Charity Ball planning committee and community volunteer “The Bridge is very excited to welcome this exceptional group to the Board. While they come from diverse backgrounds, they share a strong commitment to our children and families. Our Board, and ultimately the community and people we serve, will greatly benefit from their unique experiences,” stated Margaret Hann, Executive Director of the Bridge Family Center.

• Also from the Bridge Family Center: Peter F. Maltby, MBA, an accomplished financial executive and a West Hartford resident, has assumed the position of Chief Financial Officer. In this role, Maltby will be responsible for all financial matters related to the organization, clinic operations and management, and information technology. In a news release, the Bridge noted that sith over 30 years of experience in finance and operations leadership across the education, nonprofit, and healthcare sectors, Maltby has led initiatives in capital project management, system integrations, and financial strategy. He most recently served as Chief Financial Officer at Forman School. Maltby holds an MBA in Business Analytics from Central Connecticut State University and a BS in Accounting from the University of Hartford. “The Bridge is very excited to welcome Pete to this role. His expertise in financial management will be an asset to the organization as we enhance operational efficiencies and maintain a strong and solid fiscal position,” stated Margaret Hann, Executive Director of the Bridge Family Center.

• Jewish Family Services of Greater Hartford (JFS), based in West Hartford, is holding its 11th Annual Back-to-School Drive to help local students in need start the school year with confidence and pride. The drive began last Monday and will run through Friday, July 25, with three local drop-off locations and two online giving options. “Our goal is to fill more than 180 backpacks with basic supplies for students in grades pre-K through 12,” noted JFS CEO Katie Hanley. “It’s easy to take school supplies for granted, but for many of the families we serve, items like notebook paper, pocket folders, pencils and pens can be hard to afford on top of basic needs like food, clothing, and transportation.” The drive is a collaboration with the Mandell JCC and PJ Library, sponsored in part by S&S Worldwide. An Amazon wish list is available at bit.ly/JFSBackToSchool2025; you can also purchase items locally and drop them off at the Mandell JCC, The JCC Swim and Tennis Club (but see item below – not sure when it’s reopening), or the JFS offices at 333 Bloomfield Avenue, Suite A in West Hartford. To make a financial contribution to the drive, visit givebutter.com/JFSBackToSchool2025. Any questions about the drive can be directed to JFS at 860-236-1927.

• Click here to listen to the most recent “On the Scene” podcast, where On The Scene hosts Tom Hickey and Bob Carr welcome Yvonne Alston, founder and Chief Culture Architect of Indelible Impressions Consulting, for a compelling conversation about the future of workplace culture. Yvonne shares her mission to help organizations build inclusive, human-centric environments that value dignity, empathy, and belonging. Together, they explore how post-pandemic shifts, the racial reckoning of 2020, and generational differences have redefined employee expectations. Yvonne breaks down the difference between transactional and transformational leadership, discusses how organizations can use data as a compass for change, and reveals how real transformation goes beyond metrics – it requires courage, intentionality, and honest dialogue. Podcasts can also be found at the bottom of the home page on the revamped We-Ha.com website!

• As many may have heard, sadly the Mandell JCC’s swim and tennis club (which is actually in Bloomfield) had a fire on the premises early Sunday morning. See the note below from JCC President & CEO David Jacobs. I have seen a photo (not one I am able to share), and the structure is definitely destroyed. I have requested additional details about reopening plans but have not heard back yet.

• ICYMI, West Hartford resident and renowned chef and restaurant owner Tyler Anderson is a contestant on the Food Network’s current season of BBQ Brawl. I sat down with him last week to talk about the show and his plans for the future. You can read the full story here.
• Great news for four West Hartford nonprofits, who will receive a total of more than $600,000 in funds from the state. Click here for complete 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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