West Hartford Business Buzz: September 21, 2015

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

By Ronni Newton

Happy Monday, and I will also say “Happy Fall!” although I have trouble saying that without a bit of false enthusiasm. Fall officially arrives on Wednesday at 4:21 a.m.

I will admit that after this steamy September, and maybe because I am training for the Hartford Half Marathon, I am ready for [slightly] cooler weather. And I love the smell of fall, and fall sports, and pumpkins (even pumpkin spice coffee), and when the leaves change color – but what I hate about fall is that it’s followed by winter. Which I really don’t like. I have a new car and it’s an all wheel drive SUV which should be great in the snow, but I don’t think that’s going to change my relationship with winter. In the meantime I will do my best to not look too far ahead and to enjoy what many agree is New England’s most spectacular season.

There’s also lots of business news to share in the fall. And that’s a good thing.

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:

Rob Bouvier, principal of Bouvier Insurance, has been named the ‘top leader’ in the small employers category of the 2015 Hartford Courant/FOX CT Top Workplaces competition. (We-Ha.com file photo)

Major congratulations to West Hartford’s Rob Bouvier of Bouvier Insurance, honored this week as the winner of the Hartford Courant/FOX CT “Top Workplaces Award” for leadership in the small employers category! As the second-generation owner of the business his father began in 1959, Bouvier, who was mayor of West Hartford from 1997-2001, has perpetuated a family atmosphere at the company even as it has grown to have approximately 100 employees. We profiled Bouvier in April when he generously donated more than $30,000 to help a home-bound Enfield man and his family acquire a wheelchair-accesible van. That’s just one of the ways in which Bouvier has been an inspirational leader of his company. For more information, read the Courant’s most recent profile by clicking here.

Have you noticed a new Park Road restaurant named East West Bistro? It’s not so much a new restaurant as a new name for Pho Vietnam Restaurant, which morphed from a purely Vietnamese restaurant into a Vietnamese and Indian restaurant and then changed the name to be more appropriate. According to an employee of the restaurant, the Vietnamese menu wasn’t selling well. “We switched to Indian with a few Asian dishes and it’s been doing good,” the employee said. East West Bistro is located at 264 Park Rd. Click here to view their full menu on Grub Hub.
East West Bistro recently replaced Pho Vietnam Restaurant at 264 Park Rd., West Hartford. Photo credit: Ronni Newton
West Hartford’s Kitchen & Bath Design + Construction has been named to Qualified Remodeler Magazine’s list of the Top 500 Remodeler’s for 2015. According to a new release, the respected industry publication bases its honors on: total years in business, industry certifications, community service, industry association memberships, and awards. “We are so pleased to be back on the list,” KBDC owner Lorey Cavanaugh said in the release.“I am proud of the hard work we’ve done to maintain our standing as a top remodeling company. 2015 marks our 25^th anniversary of working in the greater Hartford area, and being recognized on this national Top 500 list is icing on the cake,” Cavanaugh said. Kitchen & Bath Design + Construction was one of six remodeling companies to be selected from Connecticut, and the only one from the Hartford area. For the entire list of top remodeling companies, click here.

ICYMI: West Hartford will host the first-ever Digital Citizenship Summit on Oct. 3 at the University of Saint Joseph. Topics will include cyberbullying, online reputation, social media, security threats, and empathy, and the summit geared toward an expected audience of educators, parents, students, and as representatives of businesses and organzations focused on the technology industry. Click here for details.
Happy anniversary to Budget Blinds! Ruth Terray, a former IT executive, started Budget Blinds in 2011 after being downsized from her former job. According to a new release regarding the anniversary, “Budget Blinds is a home-based, custom window coverings franchise company that offers consumers the convenience of shopping at home for window coverings and other home décor accessories. Budget Blinds is unique because it offers homeowners the variety of a home center with the convenience of free in home consultation, professional measuring, installation and most products carry not only the manufacturers’ warranty but also an exclusive ‘5 Year No Questions Asked Warranty,’ if for any reason your window treatment is damaged by abuse, kids, pets, weather … Budget Blinds will repair or replace each one time in 5 years for free.” Terray said that as the economy has improved the company has been able to expand, with more homeowners enhancing their décor rather than just looking for functional window treatments. Budget Blinds has also expanded into the commercial sector. The business is located at 591 New Park Ave., in West Hartford’s Home Design District.
Congratulations to BlumSharpiro Partner and Industry Head Lori Budnick, winner of The Bridge Family Center’s “Build No Fences” Award. The award, which was a major surprise to Budnick, was presented Wednesday morning at the annual “Breakfast on the Bridge” held at Saint James’s Church in West Hartford.