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

We’re in full September mode now, and even though there was a holiday last week many that I spoke to agreed that it seemed like the longest and busiest week in quite some time.

Last week also marked 25 years since September 11, 2001. Maybe it’s because we live in the Northeast, but it seems that most people I know have some personal connection to the tragedy. I wrote an essay (click here) back in 2001 about my fears for the future of the world – and now AI has added a whole new and even more terrifying element to existence of world order.

Rosh Hashanah also began at sunset on Sept. 11, marking the start of the High Holy Days and the beginning of the Jewish New Year, 5787. Shanah tovah to all who celebrate!

We went to the UConn football game vs. Maryland on Saturday. It started off great – delicious tailgate food, crowded and loud stadium, UConn scoring first – but sadly the way it went the rest of the game broke our 2-plus-year streak of seeing only wins at Rentschler. They last lost at home to Wake Forest in October 2024, but we were out of town for a wedding that weekend so missed that game.

Saturday night was a win though – a delicious dinner at Spitz! I was craving something fresh and healthy after tailgating and sitting in the hot sun, and my Medi Bowl with chicken was a perfect choice, and I am looking forward to eating the rest of it for lunch. Ted enjoyed a Mediterranean Wrap, after we both devoured some falafel and hummus for an appetizer.

I was thrilled to be invited to the opening party for Max Burger’s new Avon location (70 E. Main Street) last Thursday. There’s a blurb about it in the main part of this column as well, but directly below are some photos of the food they served – much of which is also on the menu!

This past week we had a lot of comments, several of which were definitely trolls and were sent straight to the “spam” folder. There are still five comments in the queue that were submitted without full names, and may end up there as well. 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:

• I’ve been watching the transformation of the former St. Agnes Home at 104 Mayflower Street into Mayflower by the Park for months, and it’s now nearly complete! “Construction is on track to wrap up in October, and we expect to welcome our first residents shortly after – realistically late fall,” said Andrei Brel, founder and president of Juniper Homecare, who purchased the buildings and roughly 0.79-acre property that was formerly the St. Agnes Home (which closed in 2018) plus a multifamily home on the Elmhurst Street lot next door for $1.5 million in 2024. Brel said they want to be proud of the final results and are being very careful with the quality of work on the property, where every home “includes Italian kitchen cabinetry from Arrital, Bertazzoni appliances, quartz counters, Italian doors and tile, and in-unit washer/dryers — this is very much a boutique, design-forward building rather than a standard conversion,” Brel said. There will be a total of 11 apartments in the development, all with unique floorplans – nine in the former St. Agnes Home portion (six one-bedroom and three two-bedrooms) plus two more (a one-bedroom and a two-bedroom) in the adjoining two-family home on Elmhurst. All 11 will share the parking and amenities, he said, which include a fitness room, private sauna, a dog washing and grooming station, reserved parking for every unit, individual storage rooms, smart keyless entry, secure bike storage and landscaped native-plant outdoor space. According to Brel, monthly rents will range from $2,100 for the smaller one-bedroom units, which measure about 700 square feet, to a high of roughly $4,000 for the largest of the two-bedroom units, which measure about 1,500 square feet and include laundry rooms and walk-in closets. Most of the apartments have 1.5 baths, Brel added, and all have the upscale finishes. Prior to becoming St. Agnes Home in the early 1980s – which provided residential care and support for pregnant teens and young mothers and their children ages 2 and under – the property was the St. Brigid Church convent. The cross has been removed from the façade, but some stained glass remains as does the architectural structure (I think that’s the proper term for a statue that is part of the building) on the right side of the entrance. “The statue is staying. It’s part of the building’s history and the character of the street, and we felt strongly that it should remain right where it is as the property begins its next chapter,” Brel said when I asked about it. Brel added that the location is a big part of what makes this property attractive – “steps from Beachland Park and the future community center, and an easy walk to Doro and the rest of the Elmwood neighborhood,” he noted, adding that it will remain a family-owned and family-operated property. “My family and I will be managing the building ourselves, so residents will know exactly who to call.” There is now a waitlist for those interested in reserving a unit, and more information can be found at mayflowerbythepark.com. You can also follow the construction progress on Instagram at @mayflowerbythepark.

• I shared some photos of the food and drink served at the grand opening party for Max Burger‘s new Avon location in the introduction above (please note that the burger served at that party was a slider; the actual burgers are MUCH larger) – and below are some photos of the exterior and interior of the restaurant, which was transformed from the previous occupancy as Max a Mia (which relocated down the road to 380 W. Main Street in Avon Marketplace last September). Yes, I know that there is also a Max Burger right in West Hartford Center (it opened in 2009 and I have been there many, many times), but this location is also very convenient for West Hartford residents, and General Manager James Stone is also a town resident. Formerly the GM of the Max Burger in Longmeadow, he said he is very excited to open the new restaurant, and to have a much shorter commute! All Max Burger locations offer “a thoughtful farm-to-table menu in an upscale gastro-pub environment,” according to the website, focused on the “classic American-style burger” crafted from the highest quality ingredients, with an emphasis on seasonal produce, local dairy, and artisanal grains. The all-natural hamburger meat is supplied by Brandt Beef, LLC, the fries are hand-cut, the buns are baked locally, and the sauces are house-made. All Max Burger locations also include a full bar, with an extensive wine list, craft beers, and “over a dozen traditional and liquor-spiked milkshakes.”

• Many readers have been asking for an update on the status of the Big Y – plans that were first announced in October 2025 – that will be constructed in a portion of the Westfarms parking lot, and I was finally able to get an update! “We are working on the final conditions of approval with the Town of Farmington. Following that approval, the Office of the State Traffic Administration (OSTA) will review the plans. Pending those approvals, we anticipate site work beginning in October 2026,” Big Y spokesperson Aimee Diliberto said in an email. “We are extremely excited to get started with this store,” she added. No details yet on the expected completion date, which was originally estimated as spring 2027 before the project was delayed. The store will be roughly 53,000 square feet.

• Speaking of Westfarms, according to the shopping center’s website, Kiokii will be opening soon on the lower level, just off Center Court. The website states: “Kiokii is a fast-growing Asian beauty and lifestyle retailer bringing the best of Korean, Japanese, and Asian brands closer to every neighborhood in North America. With almost 30 stores across Canada and the U.S., Kiokii makes discovering innovative skincare and everyday lifestyle essentials more accessible than ever.”

• We hear the question all of the time: “Which restaurants in town offer Happy Hour?” So, We-Ha.com is excited to launch a new Happy Hour Guide! This gives local restaurants and businesses a new way to promote their happy hour specials to thousands of engaged readers looking for places to eat, drink, and gather. Email Melissa Cole at [email protected] for more information. The first 5 participants will be featured in a promotional reel shared on the We-Ha.com social media platforms.

 

• Demolition and temporary closing alert: The former St. Brigid School at 100 Mayflower Street is scheduled for demolition this month, and the West Hartford Dog Park will also temporarily be closed, from Sept. 14-28, while the building is being knocked down. According to the town, by the end of September, “if the project progresses on schedule, the walkway from Beachland Park will reopen. The Mayflower Street access road to the property will remain closed for an additional 1-1/2 months while the entire building structure is removed, trucked off-site, and dumpsters are emptied. After demolition, site restoration work will begin, including infilling the building’s old foundation and restoring driveway access from Mayflower Street to the dog park.” In the meantime, West Hartford resident Adlin Daye Perry is generously offering her own private and completely fenced “Perry Play Yard” as an option for West Hartford residents and their licensed dogs to enjoy off-leash playtime on Monday through Saturday (closed Sundays) from 8-10 a.m., noon-1 p.m., and 5-7 p.m. during that period of time. It’s free, and just a 1-minute drive from the dog park at 15 Somerset Street. Perry, co-owner of boutique real estate brokerage The North Star Realtors, also is the “Pup Principal” of a social group “West Hartford Doodles & Poodles,” and is used to hosting pups and their owners. “I’m happy to be able to share something I already enjoy with West Hartford Doodles & Poodles with the larger West Hartford dog-loving community while our Town Dog Park is temporarily unavailable. We hope you and your pup will stop by, make some new four-legged friends, and enjoy the yard!,” she said in a message.

• The sign is now up for Blu Olive (featuring Mediterranean food with an Italian focus) coming soon to 60 LaSalle Road. I hope to be able to share an opening date soon!

• The sign is up for Numo Spring, which replaced Nummy at 1160 New Britain Avenue just days after the former Asian Fusion restaurant closed. More about it can be found in last week’s Business Buzz column.

• Congrats to the Town of West Hartford for again receiving the Government Finance Officers Association Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its budget. According to a news release, “The award represents a significant achievement by the entity. It reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, the entity had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity’s budget serves as: a policy document a financial plan an operations guide a communications device Budget documents must be rated ‘proficient’ in all four categories, and in the fourteen mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award. There are over 1,900 participants in the Budget Awards Program. The most recent Budget Award recipients, along with their corresponding budget documents, are posted quarterly on GFOA’s website. Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America.”
• Before the Yard Goats game on Sept. 3, NBT Bank presented a $6,000 donation to Hands on Hartford, an organization dedicated to supporting individuals and families in Hartford by providing a range of services that address basic needs and promote long-term stability. This was part of a season-long promotion where NBT donated $50 for every Yard Goats stolen base at a home game.

• The Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) has announced six finalists who will compete for a total of $75,000 in Accelerate Grant funding during the organization’s second annual Catalyst Symposium on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, and two of the six are West Hartford women-owned businesses – Do’s & Dye Salon, owned by Julie McCary, and OCOsink, owned by Colleen Plis. The half-day event, offering networking and educational opportunities for women entrepreneurs, will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Quinnipiac University’s North Haven Campus, located at 370 Bassett Road. The event will also feature WBDC’s Accelerate pitch competition, during which three of the six finalists will be selected to receive grants of $25,000 each. To be eligible for an Accelerate Grant, applicants must have received another WBDC grant at least 12 months prior to applying and demonstrate revenue growth resulting from the previous funding. During the live competition, the business owners will share their plans for continued growth and explain how an additional infusion of capital would help them expand operations, increase capacity, reach new customers, or create a lasting impact in their communities. “These six finalists have already demonstrated the vision, determination, and thoughtful planning needed to move their businesses forward,” said WBDC Founder and CEO Fran Pastore. “This pitch competition gives them an opportunity to build on the progress they have made, share where they want to go next, and compete for funding that can help turn those plans into measurable growth.” Registration and additional event information can be found at ctwbdc.org/events/catalyst2026.

• The West Hartford Center Infrastructure Master Plan continues to move ahead, with continued narrow sidewalks between the Toy Shop and Bruegger’s. Also, according to an email from the construction manager, work this week will also be taking place in front of the former CVS building where surface demolition will be continued and power bases will be installed. Sidewalk and curb work will continue in front of Sparrow, J.McLaughlin, and Bliss Matcha & Beyond, and in the Phase 7 area (The Toy Shop to Bruegger’s) contractors will be completing the surface demolition at the corner of Farmington and South Main, excavating and installing light pole bases, putting down the sidewalk base, and completing concrete placements.

• Now for today’s sad news … Crêpes Choupette, which opened just this past January at 993 Farmington Avenue, closed for good last week. Our features writer, Melissa Cole, was a frequent customer and got confirmation from the owner after seeing a post on social media that the place had been cleared out. I peeked in the window when I took this below photo on Saturday, and indeed it was completely empty. They are still offering catering with the crêpe bike, and locations in Darien and New Haven appear to still be open according to their website.

• Click here to listen to the latest episode of On The Scene featuring hosts Tom Hickey and Bob Carr who share practical, conversational advice for making networking more effective and more personal. They discuss everything from first impressions and confident introductions to asking better questions, following up, using LinkedIn, making referrals, and creating a professional presence people remember. All “On the Scene” podcasts can be found on the bottom of the We-Ha.com homepage.

• 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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