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 and Mia Jaworski

Welcome to the last week of October! As most of you know, I was out of the country for the past several weeks and first of all, I want to express my sincere sincere thanks to Mia Jaworski for her excellent job in holding down the fort as interim editor of We-Ha.com. She will continue her involvement as a reporter, and contributed a few of the items in this week’s column, too!

Ted and I are back from an absolutely amazing tour of Morocco – a trip that included visits to several major cities, small towns, the mountains, and perhaps most exciting of all the chance to ride camels at sunset in the Sahara Desert. We ate so much great food, too, both casual family style and with an emphasis on the “so much” – and everyone on our tour was commenting that even their stretchy pants were too tight by the end of the trip!

There was one low light, however, and I am now sporting a lovely wrist brace that I procured in a Medina in Marrakesh, after I fell and broke my wrist. While some people suggested I should tell what would be a better story – that I fell off a camel – what really happened is that I was injured while taking a photo when both of my feet slipped out from under me on some very loose gravel on a slope and I broke my fall with my right wrist, which is now fractured. I did not want to take time out of my trip to navigate the medical system in Morocco, so I opted to wait to seek official confirmation of the break when I returned, and it was confirmed by an orthopedist on Friday. We did have three doctors and a nurse among the 24 people on our tour group so I did have some good medical care right after it happened. The break is in my dominant hand, and while I have figured out how to eat left-handed, including with chopsticks, typing is extremely difficult because my fingers don’t have their full range of motion. So please cut me some slack if my hunting and pecking with just a few fingers combined with using the dictation feature on my computer leads to some misspellings.

I took thousands of photos of the trip, but below are just a select few of the camels and some food. I’ve already done several personal social media posts and for anyone interested I will be sharing additional photos from the trip on my Instagram account.

One housekeeping item to note: it’s been great that we have been getting so many letters to the editor, but I just want to clarify the letters policy. Letters from candidates regarding their own campaigns are no longer being accepted for this election cycle. The cut-off was 14 days before Election Day. Any election-related letter to the editor must be submitted by Sunday, Nov. 1 in order to be included in the newsletter on Monday, Nov. 2, which is the last one before election day. And please note that only one letter per person regarding the same candidate in the same race will be published.

There are still quite a few submitted comments in the queue, awaiting response to emails requesting that they provide their full names. Thank you to all who 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:

• Sweatfluence, an innovative infrared hot yoga and wellness studio, at 87 Memorial Road in West Hartford’s Blue Back Square, officially opened its doors to the West Hartford community on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, with a Grand Opening Celebration featuring classes, refreshments, giveaways, studio tours, and opportunities to meet the Sweatfluence team. The owner’s husband and parents were standing in front handing out candy because the opening coincided with the Halloween Stroll. Sweatfluence’s full class schedule was available starting Sunday as they welcomed founding members and new yogis to begin their Sweatfluence journey through the brand’s signature approach to heated yoga, rooted in movement, connection, and community. Accoding to a news release announcing the opening, Sweatfluence brings a fresh approach to hot yoga, combining infrared heat, music-driven Vinyasa-style flows, strength and mindfulness in an inclusive, community-focused environment. Designed for practitioners of all levels, the studio aims to create a welcoming space where guests can challenge themselves, connect with others and make wellness part of their everyday lives. “Opening Sweatfluence West Hartford is an incredibly meaningful full-circle moment for me,” said Rachel Gerould, Owner of Sweatfluence West Hartford. “Having grown alongside this brand for years, from instructor and manager to now franchise owner, I’ve experienced firsthand the impact Sweatfluence can have, both personally and professionally. This next chapter is about bringing that same experience to the West Hartford community. My vision has always extended beyond opening another yoga studio. I want to create a space where people feel welcomed, supported and empowered to challenge themselves, while building genuine connections along the way. Community has always been at the heart of Sweatfluence, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to carry that forward in West Hartford.” Connor Nolan, Vice President of Leasing at Brand Street Properties, the ownership group behind Blue Back Square, saif, “We’re excited to welcome Sweatfluence to Blue Back Square and add another dynamic wellness offering to our growing mix of experiences. “Sweatfluence’s focus on movement, connection and community is a natural fit for Blue Back Square, and we look forward to seeing the studio become a destination for residents, employees and visitors throughout West Hartford and beyond.”Courtney DelVecchio, Founder of Sweatfluence, said, “As the founder of Sweatfluence, I built this brand because I wanted to create something that went far beyond a workout. I wanted to create a space where people could challenge themselves, feel connected and truly feel like they belonged. What started as one studio and a vision has grown into a community that I’m incredibly proud of. Seeing Sweatfluence expand into West Hartford with our very first franchise is such a meaningful milestone, and having Rachel be the person to bring it to this community makes it even more special. She has been such an important part of Sweatfluence over the years, and I’m incredibly proud of her for taking this step and making this studio her own. Watching both Rachel and this brand grow has been really special for me. I’m so proud of how far we’ve come, and I can’t wait for West Hartford to experience the heart, energy and sense of connection that make Sweatfluence what it is.” Sweatfluence was founded in Connecticut and has grown from a single studio into a community-focused wellness brand centered on authentic connection and well-being. Its Blue Back Square location will offer an inviting environment for both experienced yogis and those new to hot yoga, with classes designed to support strength, movement, mindfulness and personal growth.

• While taking Halloween Stroll photos on Saturday, I noticed a new sign at the small restaurant at 76 LaSalle Road, next to Bricco. It was formerly called NY Deli & Grill but the new name is Best of the West Shawarma. Based on town permit records there is no change of use and I don’t think there have been many changes to the menu.

• Alert to fans of Conard Red Wolves football! October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Thursday October 29th is Conard football’s Pink Out Game vs. Bristol Central High School. Eric Feeney, founder of Friends of Feeney and a third grade teacher at Wolcott Elementary School, announced that the nonprofit Friends of Feeney, will be aligned with the team by providing “PINK OUT” tee-shirts with a donation. Each donation to the local nonprofit organization will support its mission of providing assistance to children and families after heartbreak and tragedy. The game is a regular season game and will be held at McKee Stadium at 6 p.m.  Feeney suggests that fans get there early because there is a limited amount of tee shirts. “We are so excited and honored to team up with Friends of Feeney for our annual Pink Out game. Their mission to help kids and families in our town is such a special act of kindness and compassion. We will proudly display their ‘Be a Good Friend’ stickers on our helmets for the remainder of our season,” said Conard coach Matt Cersosimo. The tee shirts were printed by West Hartford’s Cricket Press Inc., and sponsored by Anthony’s Abatement, Atomic Mortgage LLC and Robert O’Meara, Keller Williams Legacy Partners. Feeney also urges the community to join their mailing list and come to their Toy Drive on Saturday, Dec. 5 at Luna Pizza.

• The Town of West Hartford through the Economic Development Office and Sustainable West Hartford Commission are working in partnership with the Connecticut Green Bank to offer a C-PACE workshop for commercial property owners. This workshop will be on Nov. 5 from 8-10 a.m. at the Elmwood Community Center, and is aimed to inform and educate commercial property owners and businesses and/or nonprofits who lease within qualified commercial properties on programs available to help reduce energy costs and save energy. See flyer below for more details.

• Congratulation to Sonder Wealth Advisors which celebrated the opening of its new location at 12 North Main Street with a ribbon cutting on Oct. 22.

• Updates to construction on Farmington Avenue as the West Hartford Center Infrastructure Master Plan work continues. According to a notice from the town, there will be some rather significant disruption this coming week. Crews are scheduled to mill Farmington Avenue between Main Street and Walden Street on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026. This section will be closed to vehicle traffic during milling, with a detour provided. Use caution and reduce speeds when driving through the work zone, and watch for raised utility structures. Beginning Oct. 27 through Nov. 2, the Farmington Avenue entrance to the municipal parking lot between Mecha and Westfield Bank will be temporarily closed as crews install new curbing and construct a new concrete driveway. Parking lot access will remain available via the LaSalle Road entrance. Deliveries will not be permitted within the lot during this period. A temporary loading zone will be available on Farmington Avenue

• Despite the broken wrist, I did manage to take lots of photos at Saturday’s Halloween Stroll, sponsored by Moms & More and supported by many local businesses. Click here for the photo gallery.
• Melissa Cole interviewed Dr. Dante Paolino, a pediatric dentist with an entrepreneurial spirit who has developed a unique product to mske tooth brushing fun for kids. Read her story here.
• ICYMI, congrats to BK&CO on their 40th anniversary, which was celebrated with a special fashion show! Read the complete story here.
• Be advised that escalators at Memorial Garage are out of service as part of an overall renovation. Click here for details.

Hebrew Center recently celebrated a major renovation at a “Care Imagined” showcase. Click here for the 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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