West Hartford Business Buzz: June 29, 2015

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

By Ronni Newton

We are a week into the summer season (although Sunday felt more like early spring or late fall), and the business news in West Hartford has not slowed down a bit. As we approach the Fourth of July weekend that may change, but there is still plenty to report.

The traffic on We-Ha.com hasn’t slowed down for the season yet either! We are proud to report that we have had more than 77,000 page views in the past 30 days and we’ve even had some near-crashes of the site (a good and a bad thing) due to heavy traffic.

Voting for the Best of West Hartford has been part of that heavy traffic – and if you haven’t voted for your favorites businesses/organizations in a variety of categories, please click here and do it now. Voting will continue through July 31, 2015.

Thanks to all who have been reading our stories, too!

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].

Now for the Buzz:

Koma will open later this summer in Bishops Corner. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

We finally got a bit of an update on Koma Japanese Steakhouse, the restaurant that will be opening in the former Sakura Garden space at 345 North Main St. in Bishops Corner. Some interior construction is still ongoing and inspections will need to take place, but manager Chris Chen said Sunday that the restaurant should open “sometime this summer,” likely in August. He said the menu has not yet been finalized (the sign on the building says hibachi and sushi, which does offer some clues) and Chen also confirmed that Koma is a standalone restaurant and not a chain.
BK&Co. has gone digital! Owners Barbara Karsky and Karen Herbert, who have successfully and beautifully been styling area women at their West Hartford Center store for 21 years, launched an e-commerce website at www.bkcostyle.com, on June 24. “Responding to a need to style their customers who call from around the country after shopping their boutique while visiting relatives and friends in the Greater Hartford area and then return home and want to continue to ‘shop’ at BK&Co., as well as clients that travel to the southern states during the cold winter months, Barbara and Karen decided to undertake the task of going global 6 months ago,” they announced in a news release. Because customer service is such an integral part of shopping at BK&Co., the website includes a service called “Fly Style” – Fabulous Like You – offering a collection of experienced fashionistas to answer your style questions, provide accessory suggestions, and more. Customers can correspond with their stylists through email, phone, Skype or FaceTime, and even make an appointment for personal shopping.
House of Hoops is the newest store to open at Westfarms. According to Westfarms’ Facebook page, House of Hoops (which is part of the Foot Locker family) and the new Foot Locker store are now open on the upper level near JCPenney. House of Hoops is billed as the “ultimate home for basketballers – on and off the court.”

Other Westfarms news to report, courtesy of my 20-year-old daughter, is that Victoria’s Secret has completed its renovation and has reopened in its former spot on the top level between Nordstrom and Lord & Taylor.
Congratulations to Filomeno & Company Principal and Director of Accounting and Auditing Services, George Thomson, who has been named the next chair of the MetroHartford Alliance’s Strategic Partners. “George shows tremendous passion and dedication to the Alliance and the entire community, and we are pleased he will lead this group of some of our most visible and prominent investors,” said Oz Griebel, President and CEO, MetroHartford Alliance, in a news release. “Filomeno is a valued partner and we appreciate the organization’s support of our mission.”
We’ve got another hawk update! Click here for the details and to view the latest YouTube video of “Baby Delamar.“