West Hartford Business Buzz: February 23, 2026 – We-Ha

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 hope this is winter’s last blast. As I write this on Sunday afternoon there are a few flakes falling and it’s hard to believe that a Blizzard Warning is in effect. Until the weather settles down, I’ll keep updating this article with any news about closings, the status of the parking ban, etc.

There has been some tragic, awful news to report on this past week. The Bouchers, the couple who drowned in Cape Cod on Valentine’s Day while walking their dog along a frozen river (the presumption that makes the most sense to me is that the dog got loose and fell through the ice and then they tried to save the dog before also falling through), were longtime West Hartford residents. (They actually had lived on my street, although on the other side of a major road, so I didn’t really know them.) The community was heartbroken to hear the news early last week, and an obituary, including a link to support the foundation established by their family, can be found here.

On Sunday I learned that a Hall High School student was critically injured early that morning when caught in the crosshairs of a shooting on Ann Uccello Street in Hartford just before 2 a.m. My heart goes out to his family and friends.

When the news gets heavy I always joke that I need a break and only want to write about puppies, kittens, rainbows, or unicorns, but thankfully there have been some of those stories over the past week. I was very excited to meet Lisa Kim and hear about how she constructed a rainbow-colored igloo, and I also wrote a cute kitty story last week. I haven’t had a chance to write the article yet, but there’s also a great story in the works about a local business and the nonprofit Feeding Families.

I’ve been watching for the first signs of my daffodils poking out of the ground along my driveway. They have been making a valiant effort, and I took the below photo on Saturday. Who knows when I will see them again.

Sometimes people ask if I ever cook. Ted and I actually eat most of our meals at home, and it’s not just restaurant leftovers. Right now I have a chicken stew in the slow cooker, and last Monday I made a big pot of chili that was pretty enough to photograph.

We knew we wouldn’t be around for dinner in West Hartford on Saturday night because we were getting together with Ted’s brother and his wife, and his cousin and his wife, at the Flanders Fish Market in East Lyme. (I told them all that I would put our selfie photo in my column). We did go out to Effie’s Place for breakfast on Saturday – as a fitting tribute to my dad who died exactly two years ago Saturday and who loved breakfast foods and was a great omelette chef.

No trolls this week, and thank you to all who do 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.

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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:

• Home for Good had planned to have a soft opening of the new thrift store at 591 New Park Avenue on Tuesday morning, but Journey Home Deputy Director Sara Salomons Wilson said they are pausing briefly due to the blizzard and waiting until Thursday, Feb. 26, at 10 a.m., to welcome the public to the beautiful new space. I had a chance for a sneak peek and a chat with Sara and Store Manager Tina Heffernan on Friday – and the store looks amazing. “This is not just a thrift shop,” Sara said, and that is true on so many levels. Home for Good is a social enterprise mission that supports Journey Home – a regional nonprofit founded in 2007 that is committed to ending homelessness in the Capital Region and provides a wide range of resources, many through partnerships with various social service agencies. Volunteers with A Hand Up, which has been part of Journey Home since 2019, pick up donated furniture throughout the area that is ultimately used to furnish newly-secured housing of Journey Home clients. They operate a furniture bank at 595 New Park Avenue, where clients can “shop” for what they need for their homes. But oftentimes people want to donate items that can’t be used by Journey Home clients – decorative items such as artwork, valuable antiques, dishes that have metal rims and can’t go into the microwave, large dining room tables, sofas longer than 80 inches, sleepers, futons, recliners, desks, anything with a glass top, outdoor furniture, or large rugs – and they used to have to turn away those donations. Sara said she had a lightbulb moment in 2024 – the idea to create the thrift store and offer those donated items for sale to support Journey Home, in a space run by volunteers who want to support the organization in ways that not involving lugging heavy furniture up multiple flights of stairs. And, thanks to Tina, whose background is in retail merchandising, the shop is arranged to provided a “curated, boutique-style experience that will inspire shoppers and keep material out of landfills while creating dignity and stability for individuals and families who deserve a home to call their own.” When they secured the space at 591 New Park – literally across the driveway from the furniture bank – it was a vacant cement-floored space lacking an HVAC system. The cash wrap, Tina said, was hand-built by the husband of a Journey Home employee. And thanks to a matching grant from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving (now the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation) as well as donors and volunteers, the beautiful boutique is ready for business. They ultimately exceeded the fundraising goal of $176,000 – and have raised just about $177,000 for the venture. “There were a lot of unexpected expenses,” said Sara, including needing to build a new ADA-accessible restroom since the space changed use and is now retail. About a quarter of the total inventory is on display – styled by Tina in colorblocked sections, by woodtones and with a mixture of time periods and styles on display. This is not a flea market. “We have a couple of really nice pieces,” she said, pointing out a Danish flip-top table that’s valued at $800 and offered for $572. Suzanne Sorensen, a volunteer who is a self-described “shopaholic” and has extensive experience dealing with auctions and estate sales, has carefully researched most of the merchandise so it can be sold at a fair price that will also benefit Journey Home. “The Hi-Fi system was one of the first items that was donated,” Tina said, and inspired the nook with the record wall where she hopes people will also linger and socialize, and learn about the organization’s mission as they visit Home for Good. “To see this actually becoming a reality is so exciting,” she said. She pointed out other unique items including a custom-made coffee table with a solid brass porthole in the center and mid-century modern glassware. “It’s a mix of high and low,” Tina said. After opening on Thursday, going forward Home for Good will be open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. Other than herself as manager, “It’s completely run by volunteers,” Tina said. “I just want people to come and shop. I think people are really going to be surprised when they come in,” Sara said. “It feels surreal.” Some of the photos are below, and you can find more at the end of this column. The store is actively seeking donations of gently used items and community volunteers. You can learn more at www.homeforgoodct.org.

• This is another exciting piece of news: Spitz Mediterranean Street Food will be opening in the former Plan b space at 168 Park Road! Paige and Nick Chamberlain are the owners of the franchise – which is popular out west and was originally launched by two college kids from Minnesota and Utah – and they are excited to open the first Connecticut location in West Hartford. “We both grew up in Simsbury, so West Hartford is a place we know and love. It’s also become quite the destination for great food, so we think Spitz will fit right in. On a personal note, Paige’s father and grandfather owned and operated West Hartford Lock on Prospect Avenue for many years. So, it only seemed right to carry on the legacy of being West Hartford business owners,” Nick said. And as for the reason they chose this franchise, Paige said, “Nick’s uncle and cousin were actually the ones who introduced us to Spitz – they own several locations out in Utah. After visiting Nick’s family and dining at their locations, we felt the concept would be such a great addition to the Northeast. It’s fun, family-friendly, and delicious!” This is how the restaurant is described on the Spitz website: “Mediterranean Food, Greek Food, American Classics & more! Named after the vertical method of broiling proteins that ensures a flavorful taste, our award-winning menu includes overflowing wraps, rich salads, gyros, wings, fries & more. The tender, delicious meat used in our wraps and bowls is halal certified. We also have a Vegan Menu, Gluten-Free options, a Kid’s Menu, Paleo & Keto options, and a dog-friendly patio; while our bar offers a rotating selection of craft beer, wine & sangria. Did we mention we have board games for kids and adults?! Spitz – unusual name, extraordinary taste!” Paige and Nick said they intentionally looked for a “second generation” space that had been a restaurant in order to speed up the timeline. Most of the work on the former Plan b will be cosmetic/design-related and they don’t plan to change the layout. “Ultimately, we just want to bring 138 Park Road back to life… with a bit of the Spitz flair. Our goal is to be open by Memorial Day weekend,” they said. You can preview the menu here.

• While I had reported a few times about a business named Royal Himalayan planning to open a Nepalese restaurant and mini-mart in the former Cesar’s Liquor Outlet (440 New Park Avenue), the businesses are actually called Namaste Bazaar (the market) and Curry House (the restaurant) – and both opened this month. I stopped by last week and met Indra Singh Adhikari, who co-owns both businesses along with several other partners, and said Namaste Bazaar opened on Feb. 6, while Curry House opened on Feb. 14. Namaste offers a variety of South Asian Food products – packaged foods as well as fresh, refrigerated, and frozen items. The fruit comes from New York, Indra said, and many items are imported from Nepal and other countries. Indra, who is from Nepal but lived in West Hartford for a long time before recently moving to Newington, said many of the items they stock are hard to find elsewhere – and they will add what people indicate they want. West Hartford has the largest Nepalese population in the area, so there should be a ready customer base. “We are looking for demand – for people to ask for what they need,” Indra said. There is a wide array of rices and beans, teas, spices, meat, frozen items, and snack food. And Curry House offers lunch and dinner, and will be adding a full bar in the next few months. The menu includes Nepali and Indian specialities, and the manager told me that they will “customize menu items as per customer’s needs.” They are open for lunch and dinner, sit-down dining as well as takeout and have partnerships with delivery companies. I was intrigued by the variety of items and took a lot of photos, so the overflow can be found at the end of the column.

• Insomnia Cookies, 70 LaSalle Road, is ready to open and has been training employees! I’m not sure if the weather will result in a delay, but they are supposed to have a soft opening on Tuesday and a grand opening to follow in a few weeks. I stopped by over the weekend and couldn’t interrupt the training, but saw that the inside is complete, the skins are off the windows, and I will definitely check back this week! More information about Insomnia Cookies can be found on their website.

• Kathryn Hunt Studio is awaiting final approval from the town, but if all goes well the retail showroom in the Central Building (970n Farmington Avenue) will open in mid March. “We are thrilled to share the news of our interior design studio expansion at the Central building in West Hartford Center,” said Kathryn Hunt. “We have reopened an internal stairway from the old Central Theatre allowing the design studio to occupy the second floor and open our new first floor retail showroom. We will be offering our interior design services at a retail level, presenting curated furnishings, textiles, and bedding, pillows and accessories in a bespoke environment where clients can meet with one of our designers to assist with one piece or a whole project. We are incredibly grateful for the continued support of our clients and community and cannot wait to welcome you into this new retail facing experience with the Kathryn Hunt Studio.” The retail space will be open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., for walk-ins or by appointment.

• It’s snowing and the wind is howling as I write this, but the annual reopening of Rita’s (1134 New Britain Avenue) is still a sure sign that spring is around the corner – and it opened on Friday!

• Congratulations to West Hartford resident and Town Council member Tiffani McGinnis, who has been appointed to the Board of Directors of West Hartford Fellowship Housing (WHFH). The following is from a news release: Founded to address the growing need for affordable senior housing in West Hartford, WHFH is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing safe, affordable apartments and supportive services to low- and moderate-income seniors and adults with disabilities. Through a community-centered model, WHFH offers not just housing, but a true home – fostering dignity, independence, and connection for its residents. The organization partners with local service providers and community groups to ensure residents have access to social programming, wellness resources, and support networks that enhance quality of life and reduce isolation. McGinnis brings a distinguished record of public service, leadership, and housing advocacy to WHFH. She has been a member of West Hartford Town Council since March 2023. During her tenure, she voted to approve several developments that will provide increased affordable housing opportunities in West Hartford, reinforcing her commitment to expanding access to safe, stable homes for residents. Previously, McGinnis served as Vice-Chair of the West Hartford Democratic Town Committee from 2020 to 2024. McGinnis shared her motivation for joining the WHFH Board: “I am interested in joining the Board of West Hartford Fellowship Housing because my work in public service has shown me how much stable housing matters, especially for seniors in our community. I know how important it is to offer a real home, not just a place to stay. I am eager to help raise funds for programs and services and to connect with residents. I believe my skills, connections, and experience can be strong assets to the mission of WHFH.” Board Chair Keith Robertson said, “We are thrilled to welcome Tiffani to the Board. Her proven leadership, commitment to affordable housing, and passion for community engagement will be invaluable as we continue our work to ensure that seniors in West Hartford have access to high-quality, affordable housing.” As a member of the Board of Directors, McGinnis will help guide WHFH’s strategic direction, strengthen community partnerships, support fundraising initiatives, and advance the organization’s long-term sustainability and impact.

• Congratulations to Rabbi Michael Pincus of Congregation Beth Israel in West Hartford, Jacques Lamarre playwright and chief creative officer for BuzzEngine, and Jay Williams, president and CEO of Greater Hartford Gives Foundation, who have been named the Charter Oak Cultural Center 2026 Vision Award Honorees. They will be officially celebrated at the nonprofit’s 25th Annual Gala on Monday, May 4 at 5:30 p.m. at the Hartford Marriott Downtown. More details can be found here.

• ICYMI, the Connecticut Restaurant Association announced last week that they have rebranded and expanded, and are now the Connecticut Restaurant and Hospitality Association (CRHA). Read the full story here.
• The Black Business Expo is this coming Saturday at Town Hall. Click here for the details.
• Also coming up soon is the annual Black History Month Breakfast, which is Thursday, Feb. 26, from 8-9:30 a.m. at the West Hartford Fellowship Housing, 20 Starkel Road in the Bishops Corner area of West Hartford. More information can be found here.
• 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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