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 looked back at my column from Labor Day last year – I actually thought I might have delayed it to Wednesday because of the holiday but I didn’t – and that was a reminder that this is the second anniversary of Jimmy Buffett’s passing. Now I’ll be again singing “Come Monday,” along with Don Henley’s “The Boys of Summer,” as I mourn the beginning of the end of my favorite season and make my usual toast to continuing to wear white pants, shunning pumpkin spice, and holding onto summer until the very last moment (Monday, Sept. 22, 2:19 p.m.).

I’m writing this column earlier than usual on Sunday, hoping to be done by the time I attend a BBQ that my sister and her boyfriend are hosting in late afternoon. I’m also gearing up for doing some labor on Labor Day – helping our son Sam and his fiancée Kate move to a new apartment as they relocate from Southie to Brighton!

This past week was a busy one, that involved covering West Hartford Public Schools Convocation on Monday and the first day of school on Wednesday. In choosing a school to visit for the first day, I usually select one with a new principal, and this year it was Webster Hill. It was great to be back at the school my children attended, where years ago I was PTO president!

It was also a busy (and rather sporty) week of evening activities, that included attending the 2-4-1 Sports “Play It Forward” event at the Pond House on Wednesday, Happy Hour at The Laurel with a friend on Thursday, a Yard Goats Game on Friday, and the UConn vs. CCSU football game on Saturday! I also had an intense personal training session during the week (more on that in a future column) and ran 10 miles with the Fleet Feet Half Marathon Training group on Saturday morning. It was the annual “slide” run – a long-standing tradition which involves stopping at the Ana Grace Playground in Elizabeth Park and going down the slide. We reportedly had 100% participation this year! Photo evidence can be found below.

I also returned to Gold Dumpling, which was featured in last week’s column, for a delicious lunch at Gold Dumpling with my friend Jeannette Dardenne and her mom. Jeannette is gluten-free and really wanted to try it, and I was glad to go back and sample some more items!

Tuesday is We-Ha.com’s 11th anniversary! While I spent the summer of 2014 covering events and loading content into the website, that was a “soft open” phase and we officially launched the We-Ha.com site until 11 years ago – Sept. 2, 2014. I still believe the mission that we stated at the time remains unchanged: We-Ha.com is the place to go for the latest information about West Hartford – a town that “has it all”! We-Ha.com is part of and proud of our community, and we bring a hyperlocal focus to news and features about the people, schools, businesses, real estate, sports, restaurants, charitable events, arts, and more. 

Thank you to the support of all of our readers, and our advertisers and sponsors, for your loyalty over the past decade! And thank you also to our reporters, interns, columnists, and those who regularly submit information (and news tips!) about topics important to this community. There are other news sources covering West Hartford, but I like to think that our approach is uniquely “by West Hartford, for West Hartford” – as opposed to trying to attract a broader audience. We’re still a small team, and we can’t be everywhere (although I do try!), but we remain dedicated to telling the stories, as objectively as possible, that are important to this community.

As most of you know, We-Ha.com is primarily funded by advertising, mostly from local businesses and organizations. I am personally opposed to instituting a paywall, and as long as I am managing editor of this site, the content will remain free for all to read.

As most online news sites do, we also host programmatic ads served by an outside company. If we could earn enough from local advertisers to cover our expenses, or if enough readers would become supporters (see call to action at the end of all articles or the blue button at the top right of all articles), we would not need to run programmatic ads, but they are a critical source of income and are based on algorithms that we do not control.

We have received messages from readers lately about two ad-related topics – ads blocking editorial content and making the site jump around, and the appearance of “ICE” ads on the site. I appreciate receiving emails or texts from readers with comments about advertising issues, because I don’t always see what you see.

We are working on the back end of the site to resolve the issue related to ads blocking the content and making the site hard to read, and we will also do what we can about the other ads. I assure all readers that the ICE ad is not being directly placed on our site (any political-related ads we host would only be from local candidates running for office) and we would definitely not host any advertisement of this type. We believe the ICE ad has now been blocked, but please let me know if it appears in anything you are reading on this site. We can’t stop all advertising that is outside of our readers’ political belief systems, but we will respond to complaints. And please self-report any ad you find offensive or inappropriate (there should be an “X” in one of the corners or an actual button to report the ad) because that does help.

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.

Two trolls again this week – including one that was so obviously submitted with a fake name and included personal attacks – but thank you to all who comment with your full names! 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 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 love wandering through 485 New Park – really one of the coolest and most eclectic places in West Hartford, and I was thrilled when Ever Melo, owner of 4Ever Vintage RRR, reached out to tell me about the shop he had recently opened in that building. While the halls can be a bit of a maze, it wasn’t hard to find 4Ever Vintage because starting with a mannequin outside there was great signage in the doorway and at every turn there was another directional sign. And as I turned the corner I immediately knew I had arrived when I saw the brightly painted boutique with a window box full of lemons and greenery! Melo, who is Peruvian, lived in Spain for several years. “That’s where I fell in love with window displays, fashion, and art … and I also fell in love with an American,” he said. Melo, who now lives in West Hartford with his husband, started his first business, 4Ever Windows, and received an associate’s degree at Tunxis Community College while also doing design work, including the windows Junior League’s former Clothes Horse boutique in West Hartford. “I started looking for clients, which eventually included Stackpole Moore Tryon in Hartford, and Daswani Clothiers in West Hartford Center (the amazing horse that was emerging from the window around Kentucky Derby time was his design). “This was the workshop for all the creations,” he said of what is now the boutique at 485 New Park. “Little by little I started collecting … and one day, without the façade, I put a rack out and started selling.” The lemons in the window box – and elsewhere in the store – came from the clearance sale at Joann Fabrics, he noted. And he used to do design work for Nordstrom, and was able to acquire the mannequins from them. 4Ever Vintage RRR is now one of Melo’s full-time jobs, and he noted that the boutique has a fitting room, and they wash/clean everything “so they smell nice.” They also do alterations – not just for the items they sell, but for any clothing item. (Note to 5-foot-tall self that this is a great resource.) In addition, Melo said he can add holes to belts, and also replaces watch batteries. “As a vintage shop, these watches are coming back, so I needed to learn how to change the battery,” he said. “This shop is ‘pure love.’ It’s a collection of what people are looking for,” he said, not a thrift store but a boutique offering curated vintage items from a variety of eras. They do consignment of very rarely, and what is offered is mostly what Melo collects on his own. It’s not gender-specific either. Some of the currently highlighted merchandise includes a collection of vintage ties from designers like Versace and Dior, leather cowboy-style attire and bomber jackets from the 1970s, and loafers. In the center of the store are seasonal items – currently a denim display. The name of the boutique is a take on Melo’s first name “Ever,” with the “4Ever” as a nod to the importance of the RRR – “reuse, reduce, recycle,” he said. “It’s a way to make people comfortable buying second-hand,” he said. In the U.S., there’s not a strong culture of vintage, with many people always wanting new (and often cheaply-made) items. Fashion, he said, is the industry that does the second-most greatest damage to the planet, and 4Ever Vintage RRR is doing its part to help. Always looking to share his talent and love of displays, Melo is also doing a collaboration with Janow Custom Framing, one of the other 485 New Park businesses.
  

  4Ever Vintage RRR is now open at 485 New Park Avenue in West Hartford. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

  

  4Ever Vintage RRR is now open at 485 New Park Avenue in West Hartford. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

  

  4Ever Vintage RRR is now open at 485 New Park Avenue in West Hartford. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

  

  4Ever Vintage RRR is now open at 485 New Park Avenue in West Hartford. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

  

  4Ever Vintage RRR is now open at 485 New Park Avenue in West Hartford. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

  

  4Ever Vintage RRR is now open at 485 New Park Avenue in West Hartford. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

  

  4Ever Vintage RRR is now open at 485 New Park Avenue in West Hartford. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

  

  4Ever Vintage owner Ever Melo holds up a leather jacket. 4Ever Vintage RRR is now open at 485 New Park Avenue in West Hartford. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

  

  4Ever Vintage RRR is now open at 485 New Park Avenue in West Hartford. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

  

  4Ever Vintage RRR is now open at 485 New Park Avenue in West Hartford. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

  

  4Ever Vintage RRR is now open at 485 New Park Avenue in West Hartford. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

  

  4Ever Vintage RRR is now open at 485 New Park Avenue in West Hartford. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

  

  A display being created in collaboration with Janow Custom Framing. 4Ever Vintage RRR is now open at 485 New Park Avenue in West Hartford. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

• While the recent announcement of Green Teahouse closing its brick and mortar store at Westfarms was sad news, there is already a new business preparing to open in its space, located on the lower level outside Macy’s. “Pink Petal, a new bakery and café, is set to open at Westfarms this fall. The business is described as a vibrant and exciting spot that offers “out of this world” food, drinks, and sweets. We look forward to adding this new bakery and café to our unique eatery offerings at Westfarms,” said Amanda Sirica, Westfarms spokesperson. “Pink Petal aims to provide a fun and delicious experience for shoppers. The menu is a mix of breakfast, lunch, and sweet treats. For breakfast, you can find pancakes, French toast, oatmeal, and breakfast paninis. Lunch options include paninis, wraps, salads, and soups. The sweet treats section features cheesecakes, cupcakes, cookies, donuts, ice cream, and more! Pink Petal plans to have a competitive edge with its diverse, high-quality, and fun menu, along with a trendy and inviting atmosphere,” shared Tiffany Acosta, pastry chef and owner of Pink Petal. This sounds amazing, and I look forward to visiting and sharing more details!

• Also at Westfarms, Jamba opened about a week ago! I haven’t had a chance to visit yet, but thanks to Amanda Sirica for sharing the below photos. The owner of Jamba lives in Farmington and is also owner of the Annie’s pretzel store at Westfarms. It’s important to remember that even if something is a chain, there are often local franchise owners running these small businesses, and they are an important part of our local economy.

• Today’s intro got very long, so I am instead including this item in the main part of the column since it’s a shout-out to a local business. Ted and I purchased our sister-in-law a gift certificate to MORE Italian Pasta Lab for her birthday earlier this year, and she and my brother-in-law shared the following photo of the delicious meal they created Thursday night using the pasta and olive oil they got in the West Hartford Center store (54 LaSalle Road): Fresh tagliatelle al dente, paired with sautéed chicken, baby peas, and seasoned with lemon-infused olive oil and savory Italian herbs.

• I saw this sign last week for Deep Fascia Bodywork at 625 New Park Avenue. The massage business is currently located at 39 Talcott Road, and appears to be preparing for a move around the corner.

• I did another drive-by on Friday of the new Animal Control facility being built on Brixton Street. Below are photos of the progress.

• Further progress on the West Hartford Center Infrastructure Master Plan construction project. It’s continuing to move along pretty much on schedule, and since last week’s update there has been more sidewalk opened up. There are some new crosswalks, some of which appear to be temporary but others which follow new bump outs so those will likely be permanent locations. “The contractor will complete work in approximately 100-150 foot increments during Phase 3 in order to minimize disruptions. Project updates will include notice of when the work zone is scheduled to extend, and our team will ensure impacted businesses are kept informed in advance,” a recent email from the construction manager stated. The sidewalks in front of Savoy and Friendly Toast are now done, and on the east side of LaSalle work has now extended south to the alley just past Lux Bond & Green. The businesses still to be impacted in Phase 3A – which is the final phase – include Lux Bond & Green, Store 52, More Italian Pasta Lab, Cookshop Plus, Block Advisors, Harvest Wine Bar, Matthew Phillips, Song, Qais Convenience Shop, NY Deli & Grill, and Restaurant Bricco. As noted previously, the 52 new street trees (replacing the 36 trees that were removed) will be planted this fall.

• I noticed this sign in the former Pink Soda salon space at 990 Farmington Avenue. It’s currently serving as the leasing office for One West Hartford, the development being constructed on the site of the former Children’s Museum at 950 Trout Brook Drive. More information about One West Hartford can be found on their website. I also toured the construction site in late May, and photos and details can be found here.

• There are several closings to note this week, including Prospect Foreign Car Service at 595 Prospect Avenue. I don’t have any details, but do not believe they are planning to open in another location.

• Another closure this week is Nautical Bowls in Bishops Corner (2527 Albany Avenue). I reached out to owner Mike Smith when I received an email from a reader with a photo from a Yelp listing just to confirm. “Unfortunately, and sadly, it is true. We have loved our time spent building our brand and meeting the folks in the community but, despite our best efforts to avoid closing, we have made the very difficult decision to close our Nautical Bowls West Hartford store. Our last day of business was Saturday, August 23, 2025,” he said in an email.

• I stopped by Plan b last week when I was driving by. Founder and CEO Allie Gamble was out front and I chatted with him briefly. He said he was sad that it wouldn’t work out to keep the West Hartford location open since it was their original restaurant. He confirmed that Sunday, Aug. 31, would be the last day. The article about the closing can be found here.
• ICYMI, reporter Mia Jaworski chatted with Sam Wilder, the new owner of Elmwood Pastry Shop, about how the transition is going. Full details can be found here.
• It’s time to choose the area’s top dog! While Millie is not eligible (she does get to be the poster dog for the contest), I know there are many great dogs in town! Details here.

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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