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

Since I am such a creature of habit, I will as in past years begin my annual Labor Day column with an homage to Jimmy Buffett on the third anniversary of his passing – and will be singing “Come Monday” along with Don Henley’s “The Boys of Summer” for the rest of the weekend 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 (Tuesday, Sept. 22, 8:04 p.m.).

I was rather dismayed at the sight of all of the pumpkin- and fall-related products (including mums and actual pumpkins) when I went to Trader Joe’s late last week. I will admit to the purchase of a jar of the “Autumn Harvest” sauce because sometimes it sells out quickly and I don’t want to miss out – but it’s shelf-stable and won’t be served in my kitchen for a few weeks.

One thing I do appreciate about the arrival of fall is the start of the football season, and other fall sports. We’ve had season tickets to UConn football for quite a few years, and I am glad we hung in there during some of the really bad years. We enjoyed some yummy (if I do say so myself, since breakfast grilling at a tailgate is the only grilling I do) breakfast sandwiches and hash browns at our tailgate on Saturday, before watching UConn whup Lafayette in the bright sunshine.

It was sad to attend our final Yard Goats game of the season – but along with watching the Goats it was fun to see some real goats, and on my way to the Bear’s BBQ stand to run into some Hartford Courant alumni GOATs who were having a mini-reunion at the game! While I have never worked for the Courant I have gotten to know many of these talented journalists and former journalists over the years, and thanks to David Owens for the selfie with some fellow West Hartford residents!

Ted had not sampled pizza from The Brownstone yet, and that was the perfect casual dinner on Saturday night after spending most of the day in the hot sun at the UConn game.

Don’t forget that there is a trash and recycling delay this week. Here are the details from the town.

One last note to mark We-Ha.com’s 12th 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 on the day after Labor Day in 2014 – 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 our readers, and our advertisers and sponsors, for your continued support and loyalty over the past dozen years! 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 (we 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.

Sorry to drone on, but I really want to say thank you.

We had one troll this past week and a few others who have not yet responded to my email asking for their full names – some of whom I anticipate are trying to hide behind the supposed anonymity of their keyboards. 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:

• Back in May, Melissa Cole wrote about the retirement of both Alyce Carella (Miss Alyce) and her daughter, Laura Rugar (Miss Laura), and the closing of the Alyce Carella Dance Centre after 66 years in business, following the recital on June 7. Well … the door didn’t quite shut all the way, because the studio is still open, now under new ownership by a former student. “It was totally spontaneous. I was driving by with my mom and saw the for sale sign,” said Priea Aryal, a West Hartford resident who had been an active dancer with Alyce Carella for more than six years, taking ballet, hip hop, contemporary, and jazz, and mentoring younger students. Although she knew that Miss Laura was looking for her mom to retire so that she could retire as well, Priea, along with her dad (Shree Aryal) and uncle (Shyam Shiwakoti) reached out and asked if she would be willing to remain involved, at least in the short term. “We said what if we bought the business, would you be willing to help us out,” Priea said. “Miss Alyce was 16 when she started,” Priea added – the same age as she is, said the Conard junior. The former owners were so glad it would remain a dance studio, and while the planned change in ownership was actually announced at the recital, many of the older students had already found new places to continue their dance education. Priea and her family are not deterred, however, and have hired teachers (including some returning teachers from Alyce Carella) and filled the schedule with classes for ages 2 to adult, including ballet at various skill levels, princess ballet, hip hop, jazz, acro, and pointe. They’ve already scheduled the recital for May 23. “Miss Laura is going to help us, especially in the first year, helping navigate things,” said Priea. “She is very proud that we are able to keep it open,” added Shyam, who credits the experience Priea gained dancing at the Alyce Carella Dance Center for his niece’s poise and confidence. The family purchased the building at 1153 New Britain Avenue in June, and said this is their “passion project” and will provide opportunity for more area kids to learn dance. Enrollment is open now, with classes beginning Tuesday, Sept. 8, but new students are being accepted throughout the rest of the year, and as long as they enroll by December or January, they will be able to participate in the recital. They haven’t made any changes to the interior of the building, where the floors are in good shape after having been replaced in the past few years, but they have modernized the business in one important way. “The first thing we did was to revamp the website,” Shyam said. All registration is now online. While she will be busy with classes (she’s taking four APs at Conard this year), Priea said she has good time management skills and is confident that she will be able to manage her new business. “I will be at the front desk almost every day,” she said. “I’ve always loved to dance,” she added, and is excited to experience this side of the business. She’s thankful to the founders, as well as to teacher and theater director Sara Avery for helping with the transition. “We want to continue the legacy that Alyce Carella had, to continue the legacy of Miss Alyce,” said Shyam. “We are very fortunate to keep it going,” said Priea.

• I’ll continue the “one door closing” theme from the bullet point above and actually from last week. The sad news is that Nummy (1160 New Britain Avenue) closed its doors last weekend. Ron Patel, owner of the Asian Fusion restaurant that opened in the spring of 2018, had an informal goodbye dinner on Monday and I was very lucky to have one last Udon Noodle Bowl (Ted had his favorite Mr. Peanut, which he will definitely miss). But the good news is that the restaurant is back. open. Ron said the sale of the business has been in the works for months, and he looks forward to being able to spend more time focusing on his other area businesses. He said he worked with the new owner of the restaurant – Chao Chen – and it will remain an Asian fusion concept called Numo Spring, and while there will be some changes to the menu, they worked on it together. There are no planned changes to the interior or the exterior (other than the sign), and indeed by Sunday it was back open as Numo Spring. I stopped by and while Chao told me it’s very much still a soft opening, and the menu is still temporary – I already can’t wait to try the ramen (there’s a “West Hartford Noodle Soup” that I will definitely need to sample), and there are also some tempura dishes and a dim sum section of the menu that look great. More details to come!

• It’s been great to test out a few of the coffees being roasted by Puffin Hill Coffee.  The owner, Max Kaplan, has been operating Puffin Hill Coffee as a hobby for about five years, and is now scaling up and accepting orders from consumers during the week, roasting on Saturday, and delivering on Sunday – just in West Hartford for now! I tried the lemongrass coferment supernatural yirgacheffe – which Max said “vaguely reminds me of having an Arnold Palmer,” and it was definitely unique – complex and I would say “earthy.” I really loved the second coffee I tried, the supernatural yirgacheffe (without the lemongrass) – and am finishing up a cup as I write this. To order, visit the website puffinhillcoffee.com.

• I’ve gotten messages from several concerned customers, and am glad to be able to assure everyone that Rasham Marketplace (770 Farmington Avenue) is NOT closing, nor has there been an ownership change. Owner Talal Peracha said they have been closed for a week or two, but it’s for a renovation and the addition of a few new services. According to Peracha, they are adding a to go menu so “customers can order hot and fresh food from our kitchen. We also added a new coffee and ice cream counter. We will be serving soft serve, scoop ice cream, and also espresso, latte, and cappuccino coffees. We’re also remodeling inside our store including new floors, paint, and lighting to give the store a fresh new look.” While they don’t have an official grand reopening date, they are aiming for Oct. 10, he said.

• Monmouth Trading Cards hopes to be open at 89 Memorial Road in Blue Back Square by the end of October. More to come as they get closer to opening, and you can also find information about the business on their website.

• Hartford Stitch is in the process of relocating, and will soon be open at 13 Sedgwick Road.  As we reported earlier this summer, Hartford Stitch will be moving from 207 Park Road, taking over the Homegrown Studio space at 13 Sedgwick Road. It was 10 years ago that I first wrote about Hartford Stitch when Laura Kasowitz opening the sewing school for people of all ages – and when I heard about the transition she confirmed that she was taking over the space in September after learning that Homegrown Studio owner Meredith Magee Donnelly was ready to wind down her business. The new sign is up and some painting is underway, and I look forward to reporting the opening!

• Blue Back Square is bringing back one of the tastiest events of the year with the return of its fourth annual Blue Back Burger Bash on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, from 5 to 8 p.m. The event will once again transform Blue Back Square into Connecticut’s only burger bash, inviting guests to sample sliders from some of the property’s most popular restaurants while supporting a great cause. Local favorites Boqueria, World of Beer, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, Coracora, Wonder, Fat Duck Tavern, and Artisan Restaurant will each grill up their signature slider creations onsite on Isham Road, in a friendly competition for the coveted People’s Choice Best Burger award. Guests can also enjoy complimentary samples from Frisbies, Char-cu-te-rie, Chip City Cookie, and Playa Bowls, making it an evening filled with sweet and savory bites. Celebrity judges (I am thrilled to be returning as a judge!), including event emcee Adam Rivers of iHeartRadio, will award Best Overall Burger, while attendees will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite slider to determine the People’s Choice Best Burger winner. Every guest who casts a vote will automatically be entered for a chance to win a $250 gift card to the participating restaurant of their choice. Beyond the food, Burger Bash offers a lively evening of entertainment with music, family-friendly activities, games and more, creating a fun atmosphere for guests of all ages. “Burger Bash has become one of Blue Back Square’s signature community events, bringing together our restaurants, retailers and guests for a memorable evening while giving back to an incredible local organization,” said Kate Terricciano, spokesperson for Brand Street Properties & Blue Back Square. “We’re excited to welcome everyone back for another year of great food, friendly competition and community spirit.” Proceeds from the event will benefit CT Foodshare, helping support its mission to address food insecurity throughout Connecticut. Tickets are available for advance purchase at www.bluebacksquare.com. The rain date is Friday, Sept. 25.

• Congrats to Apella Wealth on nearly doubling their office space (adding 6,000 square feet to their existing 8,000 square feet) at 65 Memorial Road in Blue Back Square. They held a ribbon cutting with the Chamber of Commerce and town leaders last week, celebrating the expansion. More information about the business can be found here.

• Best of West Hartford voting ends tonight! Click here to vote. The winners will be celebrated at an event that will also include the third annual “Dancing with WeHa Stars” on Sept. 28. I will NOT be dancing, but can’t wait to watch! Tickets can be purchased here.

• From a news release: Caring Senior Service, a non-medical, personalized home care services company, announced last week that it has opened a new office at 901 Farmington Ave. in West Hartford. It is the company’s first location in the Northeastern U.S. Taniesha Thomas, a Connecticut native from nearby Bloomfield, is the new location’s owner. Drawing from years of personal, hands-on caregiving experience, Thomas is focused on bringing home care services rooted in accountability and personal attention to the greater Hartford area. “Improving senior care across my home community is my calling,” said Thomas. “Caring Senior Service represents the heartfelt, dedicated care I want to provide to our area seniors, allowing them to age in place with dignity while giving their families absolute peace of mind.” Caring Senior Service founder and CEO Jeff Salter said the organization is enthusiastic about its expansion into the Hartford area. According to USAFacts, the Hartford metropolitan area’s residents aged 65 or older reached 19.5% of the total population in 2024, creating greater demand for personalized in-home care. “Taniesha’s background as a caregiver, combined with her strong local connections and passion for senior care, makes her the perfect partner for our Connecticut expansion,” said Salter. “As more families seek trusted in-home options, her leadership will help us meet this growing need.” Caring Senior Service specializes in customized non-medical home and companion care plans tailored to the unique physical and emotional needs of older adults. By prioritizing extensive caregiver training and strict reliability, the company aims to become the premier trusted resource for local families navigating the challenges of senior care. For more information about Caring Senior Service in West Hartford, please visit their website.

• Blue Back Farmers’ Market and the Delamar West Hartford are hosting an Autumn Harvest Dinner on Sunday, Oct. 25, from 5 to 9 p.m. This special farm-to-table event features a thoughtfully curated four-course dinner by Artisan Executive Chef Michael Giai, showcasing the freshest seasonal ingredients sourced from local farms and producers, including vendors who participate in the Blue Back Square Farmers’ Market – which will receive a share of the proceeds from the event. Funds raised will be used to support the market’s mission, and costs including insurance, banners on the green, live music, keeping vendor fees low, and management of SNAP benefits. Tickets are $125 per person. Click here to register. Tickets include passed hors d’oeuvres, four-course farm-to-table dinner, two complimentary glasses of wine or beer, and live music including from Jim Lenn on acoustic guitar. In advance of the event, Chef Michael Giai will give cooking demonstrations on Sept. 13 and Oct. 4.