West Hartford Business Buzz: October 26, 2015

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

By Ronni Newton

It’s the last week of October, but I promised myself that I would not rant about the weather today – other than to say that last week’s weather was an insane combination of mid-winter frostiness and summer-like humidity. The reader who commented that I should not have been so quick to store away my flipflops may have been right – but on Monday, and again on Friday, I should have been wearing my ski socks and Uggs.

There is lots of exciting and positive business news to share this week!

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].

Here’s this week’s Buzz:

The ‘New Antiquity-Nasi’ wall panel is one of the locally-made products that will be sold at West Elm when the store officially opens on Nov. 5, 2015. Photo courtesy of West Elm

It seems like we have been waiting forever for West Elm to open at 91 Memorial Rd. in Blue Back Square. That could be due to the fact that rumors about West Elm began circulating shortly after Ann Taylor shut its doors last September, but were not officially confirmed until March 2015. West Elm, a home accessory and furniture company based in Brooklyn, and owned by Williams-Sonoma, Inc., will open on Nov. 5. What will make West Elm’s Blue Back store, the second store in Connecticut (the other is in Westport) unique is that the company has partered with five Connecticut-based artistans to “hand curate unique, regionally-sourced pieces for the new store. West Elm is thrilled to serve as an active, communal hub for West Hartford celebrating local creativity and craft,” West Elm said in a news release. Local offerings that will be featured in the Blue Back Square store include products from &Morgan, Hartford Prints!, New Antiquity, Mystic Knotwork, and Treefort Naturals.
By now many of you have heard and are salivating over the news about NoRA Cupcake Company, which will be another November addition to Blue Back Square. NoRA owner Carrie Carella was at the Holiday Stroll in Blue Back on Saturday and had a great reception from residents. She brought along a carload of cupcakes, and they were gone in 15 minutes flat, she said. Carella is even more excited than ever about plans to locate her second store, intially a one-year “pop-up,” on Memorial Road. Click here to read the complete story.
Fruity Pebble. Photo courtesy of NoRA Cupcake Company
ICYMI: Billy Grant has made some major changes to the menu at Grants Restuarant and Bar, and hopes to “shake the fine dining image.” Click here for the complete story.
In a March Business Buzz column, we announced the plans to transform the Sisters of St. Joseph property at the southwest corner of Prospect and Park into Arcadia Crossing, a $100 million, 310-unit market rate apartment complex plus 36 “living units” for the remaining members of the Sisters of St. Joseph. Center Development Corp., which recently developed Park Place Towers in Hartford, is the developer for the project, and filed the plans with the Town of West Hartford last week. The Town Council will schedule a public hearing about creation of a Special Development District for the project – just the first step in the process.
Sample of Sweet William Designs merchandise now available at Toy Dog Accessories. Submitted photo
Toy Dog Accessories at the Beadoir (rear of 968 Farmington Ave.) is expanding its product lines and variety of merchandise. Owner Linda Goldberg said that she is the only U.S. retailer for pet-related ceramics, cufflinks, aprons and kitchen towels, dog tags, and key chains made by U.K retailer Sweet William Designs.
Salons by JC, located at 333 North Main St. in Bishops Corner (directly above Marshalls) will be holding a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, Oct. 28, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Salons by JC is a 10,000-square-foot facility where beauty and wellness professionals can lease and customize space to independently operate their businesses. In addition, Art.Lab Gallery/Studio is simultaneously presenting “The Grand Opening Art Exhibition at Salons by JC West Hartford,” featuring over 50 original works by Connecticut artists. See an example of the artwork at the bottom of this column.

Congratulations to Blaze and Bloom, which this weekend celebrated its one-year anniversary at 485 New Park Ave. in West Hartford!
Simon Konover had an enormous impact on business in West Hartford and throughout the area. Our only sad news to report in Business Buzz this week is the passing of Konover last Tuesday. He was 93. Click here to read a tribute written by Kenneth Gosselin of the Hartford Courant.