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

Each year this week’s column tends to be one of the most challenging, because it comes amid a very busy time of the year with school activities winding down, organizations have their year-end celebrations, and in particular because today is the Monday after Celebrate! West Hartford. I’ve been a member of the Festival Committee for a dozen years now, and other than a few short breaks, spend the entire weekend in the Central Info Booth – which I love doing, because I get to see almost everyone who visits the event – but it doesn’t leave me much time for working on this column!

The storms waited for the crowds to leave on Saturday, and Sunday was perfect. It was a great Celebrate! West Hartford!

In addition to being at the Festival, on Sunday morning I also ran the Celebrate! West Hartford 5K, which I have done every year since 1999 (except in 2012, before we even launched We-Ha.com, when I covered the memorial service for a West Hartford family that had tragically been killed in a plane crash in Nigeria). I didn’t train at all to race this year, and was very happy to run with a few good friends at “party pace” (thanks for the great new term, Heather!) just to enjoy the experience.

So many Conard and Hall teams have been playing in the CIAC state tournament over the past week, and please check out our sports coverage. We haven’t been able to make it to every game, but I really appreciate the help of our student interns and young reporters who have been doing a great job highlighting our student-athletes. And thanks to photographer extraordinaire Craig Rosenberg for his contributions as well! Conard girls lacrosse and Hall boys volleyball are still in contention, and have both reached the semifinals and will compete at neutral sites on Tuesday.

Dinner out this week was sadly a last meal at Union Kitchen (read full story here). It’s been one of our go-to places since the beginning, and I wish Vish, Jill, and Tim – and all their now former employees – best of luck as they move on to the next chapter. Dinner was delicious …

Last week was also my birthday, and we enjoyed that dinner at home on the patio!

I had lunch at Celebrate! both days of the weekend – had my traditional yummy Saturday lunch of Pad Thai from Sweet Chilli while my sister enjoyed the gyro from Sultan Kebab. Several of my booth-mates had tried out the food from Banh Meee on Saturday, so that was my choice for Sunday and it did not disappoint!

Millie has been enjoying some great patio time the past week!

There was one comment last week submitted without a last name – but it was calling out trolls/bots who commented on our Facebook page. I didn’t post the comment to the story, but I did take care of the Facebook issue. Thank you to all who do 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].

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Here’s this week’s Buzz:

• Almost exactly a year after my hard-hat tour of One West Hartford, I was so excited for a chance last Wednesday to tour the nearly complete development that has been built on the former Children’s Museum property at 950 Trout Brook Drive. “Move-ins started Monday,” Continental Properties Regional Director Narineh North told me on the tour. “We have to stagger the move-ins,” she added, noting that in the first two days, eight units had been occupied. To date, 80 of the 172 units have been leased to date, including the five, three-bedroom units. “It’s exceeded our expectations,” she said, and they expect the property to be 100% leased quickly, with tenants a mix of people moving into the area from other parts of the country, moving to One West Hartford from other luxury complexes like Heirloom Flats in Bloomfield, and people downsizing or relocating their primary residence who want to maintain a home in West Hartford. The amenities are impressive, and while the pool and outdoor lounge area (that will include fire pits, adirondack chairs, grills, and a dog exercise area) were not quite completed during the tour, most of the other spaces were. The main entrance is on the north side of building, and includes an elegant lobby and club room with a catering kitchen, a cinema room (with a popcorn machine), private dining area, a gym that’s available 24/7, and a golf simulator room. Fronting Trout Brook Drive are common areas that residents can also access directly from the sidewalk through a secure doorway, and include a bright and airy co-working space, a pet spa, and a roughly 70-bike capacity storage area (racks are being installed any day). All of the amenities are available for use by the tenants without extra charges. The units all have patios or balconies, high-end finishes, 9-foot ceilings (top floor “penthouse” level units have even higher ceilings), large closets, full-size washers and dryers, and LVT plank flooring. There are some great views of the Center, as well as of the Kingswood Oxford campus, and it’s great to see that many of the mature trees on the eastern edge of the property were kept, maintaining a buffer with the residential neighborhood on Outlook Avenue. There’s a large underground parking garage, and many of the units come with an underground space included in the rent – which ranges from $3,100 and up for a one-bedroom unit, to $4,200 and up for a two-bedroom/two-bath unit. The three-bedroom units (which are currently all leased) are $6,000 and up. Property Manager Samantha Willett noted that nine of the units are deed-restricted affordable housing for those with incomes at 80% of the area median income or less.  The Town Council approved Continental Properties‘ plans to redevelop the former Children’s Museum property at 950 Trout Brook Drive – which had long been owned by neighboring Kingswood Oxford and leased to the museum – back in October 2022, and the construction began in the spring of 2023. For more details about the property, visit the website. A number of photos are directly below, but I admittedly went a bit crazy taking photos of the model units and added more at the end of the column.

• Westfarms shared some updates late last week, with details about openings, reopenings, store refreshes, and upcoming plans. “We are proud of Westfarms continued growth to reimagine our offerings, and our ongoing commitment to both retailers and shoppers,” said General Manager Carolyn Edwards. “We remain focused on elevating the shopping experience by introducing new brands that complement our existing retailers.” The news release noted that Häagen-Dazs has now entered the Greater Hartford market with the opening of its creamery in a Center Court storefront, that offers a selection of decadent ice cream flavors and sorbets crafted from high-quality ingredients. “Swiss premium chocolatier Läderach will open on the upper level of the Nordstrom wing this summer, marking the brand’s first Connecticut location. The family-owned company is known for bringing premium chocolate from bean-to-counter including its signature FrischSchoggi fresh chocolate slabs. The store will also feature single-origin tablet bars, seasonal limited-edition assortments, and a rotation of exclusive new creations including the best-selling FrischSchoggi Dubai Milk. All crafted in Switzerland to the highest standards of quality and freshness,” the announcement stated. Coming later this summer will be Pop Mart, a market-leading character-based entertainment company, which will open on the lower level of Westfarms in the JCPenney wing. and the celebration of art in toy form. The new store is anticipated to open later this summer. Barnes & Noble will also be opening later this summer on the lower level near Macy’s, in the 22,512 square foot space that was formerly Forever 21. Much more to come on both of these! “Remodels and expansions of existing stores are equally important, as they reflect a continued investment in Westfarms and enhance the shopper experience through refreshed spaces and broader offerings,” said Edward. Also according to the announcement, a few refreshes and expansions include Pandora relocating to a larger space next door which will allow access to a broader inventory, with an opening planned in June. Foot Locker has completed a comprehensive store remodel and has reopened with a new look and merchandise to match. And, The North Face recently relocated to a new upper-level location near Center Court. Both Journey’s and T-Mobile are undergoing remodels, and will reopen within the next few weeks.

• Congratulations to the winners of the annual West Hartford Chamber of Commerce Spotlight and Beacon Awards! The winners were revealed at a business after hours held on May 21, and will be officially honored at the Chamber’s annual meeting and spotlight awards celebration on Monday, June 22, at West Hartford Town Hall. Winners are: Business of the Year – CT GI; Entrepreneur – Devonte Dillion – Dilligence Training & DT Cares; Community Impact – West Hartford Fellowship Housing; Rising Star – Allie Bellucci – Bellu Jean Creative; Legacy – Daley Moving & Storage; Chamber Volunteer – Jamie Rice – JQR Capital; Elizabeth Gustin Basil Women’s Leadership Award – Laura Sheehan – Capital Classics; Noah Webster Award – Andy & Joyce Mandell. Congrats to all!

• New Britain Avenue in Elmwood has received its annual beauty treatment, with the delivery Friday of a trailer-load of planters created by Jason Carl and his team from KNOX. Funds were raised for “Elmwood Blooms,” an effort founded more than a decade ago by lifelong Elmwood resident and businessman Charlie Hilborn, who had a dream to beautify the Elmwood area of West Hartford with floral planters along New Britain Avenue. Businesses and other donors funded the planters, which will be cared for by KNOX and remain throughout the season.

• Butler Equipment is in the process of relocating from 631 New Park Avenue, according to Economic Development Manager Kristen Gorski. While the business is moving just up the street, the new location is just over the line in Hartford. The Hartford Business Journal reported in late November 2025 that an affiliate of The Butler Company had acquired a parcel at 398-412 New Park Avenue, that was formerly a car dealership. There are two buildings – a 2,500 square foot building and the main 11,400 square foot showroom – on the property at 631 New Park Avenue, and Gorski said the future use of that property is TBD. Located just across the driveway from GastroPark, it’s in the transit-oriented development zone, and likely in need of environmental remediation with past occupancies that include not only Butler but also a car dealership.

• West Hartford natives and Hall High School graduates, brothers Max Rodman and Alec Rodman, have recently launched their new brand, Kalos. “We started Kalos after experiencing the frustration of low energy and poor focus while chasing important goals,” they said. “The idea came to us while Max was competing nationally in track for Hall High School and Alec was studying biochemistry at UConn. As brothers and co-founders, we wanted a solution that fit seamlessly into daily life and helped us feel focused in as little as 60 seconds. What began as a search for a better option for ourselves and our family grew into Kalos. Kalos is a fast-acting energy and focus melt that dissolves in your mouth, offering a convenient alternative to energy drinks, coffee, and powders. Each melt combines caffeine, nootropics, and key nutrients to support energy, mental clarity, and focus. Because it dissolves in the mouth, many users feel the effects faster, making it easy to stay sharp whether you’re working, studying, training, or tackling a busy day. Our mission is simple: make energy and focus more accessible, convenient, and reliable. The most rewarding part of building Kalos is hearing from customers who feel more productive, confident, and ready to pursue their goals. We believe people shouldn’t have to wait to feel their best, and we’re committed to helping them perform at their highest level every day. To support our mission and feel focused in 60 seconds you can find us on Amazon or our website kalosfocus.com,” they shared.

• West Hartford United Methodist Church (WHUMC, aka the “pumpkin church”) has announced that from June through Labor Day they will be having a summer food drive to support the West Hartford Food Pantry. “While many of us will be planning our summer vacations, hunger never takes a vacation, and food insecurity increases during the summer months as children aren’t receiving meals at school,” WHUMC said in an announcement. People are encouraged to drop off non-perishable unexpired/unopened items on the food intake table inside of the front door of the church or the bin by the front door. Popular items include spaghetti, pasta sauce, soups, peanut butter (16-18oz.,) jelly, canned fruits, applesauce, rice (1-2lb. packages,) cereal, shelf stable milk, tea, coffee, canned veggies, canned protein such as tuna or chicken, and crackers. Single rolls of toilet paper and single boxes of tissues are also needed, they said.

• It was good to see that many of the orange barriers have been removed from Farmington Avenue as the West Hartford Center Infrastructure Master Plan continues, and on the north side of the road new sidewalks are opened for use on the western portion of the construction area. I’m personally having trouble deciphering the phasing schedule (which is numbered, but not happening in numerical order) – but know that all businesses are accessible at all times, and I have been able to walk the entire length of the sidewalk from Dale Street to Main every time I have tried, even if it’s narrow in some areas. I do see that equipment is being mobilized for Phase 5, which is on the south side of Farmington Avenue from The Claypen to Music and Arts, and according to a newsletter from the construction manager the soil cell installation and removal of sidewalk pavers will begin this week.

• Continued great progress continues on the new Animal Control facility on Brixton Street, and while I was in the neighborhood I also snapped a photo of work underway at The Jayden at 579 New Park Avenue.

• There’s also additional progress at 1001 Farmington Avenue where a major interior renovation is underway and it is being built out as the main local office for Ernst & Young.

• ICYMI, Union Kitchen sadly closed its doors for good on Saturday after an 8-year run in West Hartford Center. Click here to read the complete story.
• 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].

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