West Hartford Business Buzz: May 5, 2025 – 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

Happy Cinco de Mayo! It’s a fun holiday and appropriate for anyone to celebrate – and I love that tacos are involved!

As I was going through my photos to put this column together I realized just how busy the past week was – and the diversity of events I attended and stories I wrote. Also mixed in with work was some grand-parenting since Katie’s maternity leave just ended and she is back to work at PTSMC. I especially enjoyed taking “Champ” to gymnastics class at GTC in Simsbury!

Last week’s stories included a feature on the history of the Hartford Tennis Club, a sneak peek at the Junior League of Hartford Designer Show House, news of the Vessel Technologies application being withdrawn just hours before the fourth installment of the public hearing, and details of the proposed updates to Sedgwick Road. On Saturday morning, I had the opportunity to attend the soft opening of The Friendly Toast – and plan to return for the grand opening today! The tacos in the photo below (which I sampled on Saturday morning) are free to the first 55 parties in line on Monday morning, in honor of Cinco de Mayo.

I also attended the Yard Goats game on Wednesday night (that one was just for fun), and participated in a “Meet the Media” forum on Thursday hosted by the Public Relations Society of America Greater Connecticut chapter. WTIC anchor and talk show host Morgan Cunningham and NBC CT producer Chris Ayotte were my fellow panelists, and Quinnipiac professor Katie Place was the moderator. As you can see from the photo below, it was a lot of fun, but it was also very educational – including for the panelists who all have very different backgrounds and perspectives on the current state of the media.

My friend and former boss from Patch, Elissa Bass, was at Barnes & Noble on Saturday afternoon for a signing of her debut novel, “Happy Hour,” on Saturday, and it was great catching up with her there as well as at our own happy hour at Vinted right afterwards, where we were also joined by another fellow Patch colleague, Susan Schoenberger. I can’t believe it’s been 12 years since we last worked together!

Ted and I enjoyed a yummy dinner at Nummy on Saturday night. (I honestly didn’t think I would eat again for at least 24 hours after The Friendly Toast brunch, but 8 hours later I was finally a bit hungry.) On Sunday, to cap off a fun week, I did pig yoga at Westfarms with Breathe2Flow Yoga and Gilbert the Party Pig and friends! Look for a story this week, but below is a teaser photo!

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If you have information to share about local businesses, please provide details in the comments or email Ronni Newton at editorial@we-ha.com.

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Here’s this week’s Buzz:

• The West Hartford Farmers’ Market returned for 2025 on Saturday, May 3 – but in a new location in the Town Hall parking lot due to the construction taking place on LaSalle Road and the use of a large portion of the Arapahoe parking lot (where the market had been located since 1992) for storage of the large construction equipment. “So far it’s good,” said Amanda Sedor, manager of the West Hartford Farmers’ Market. She said while the new location has good visibility, it’s a change from where they have for more than 30 years, and “it’s a little farther away from our walkable community.” Sedor is a second-generation manager of the market that her mom originally helped found, and she believes it’s one of the oldest farmers markets in the state! The West Hartford market will be open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through December, except for Saturday, June 7 due to Celebrate! West Hartford taking place at Town Hall that weekend. They will be there on the Saturday of the West Hartford Pride Festival, which is June 21. “Everybody’s back from last year,” Sedor said of their vendors. Current offerings include coffee, mushrooms, microgreesn, eggs, jam, dog treats, goat soaps, soup, sauce, salsa, bread, pastries, beef jerky, beef tallow, local honey, milk, yogurt, cheeses, herbs, and more. The best place to find the weekly schedule of vendors is on their Facebook page.

• Significant progress has been made on the construction of One West Hartford, the 172-unit multifamily development being built on the site of the former Children’s Museum at 950 Trout Brook Drive. Continental Properties, the developer advised last week that they are still on track and hope to be welcoming residents by late 2025 or early 2026. I hope to get a hardhat tour soon, and much more to come!

• I also meant to share these photo in last week’s column that I took of the landscaping work finally in progress around Conny‘s tail. In the first of the photos below it appears as if the tail is on the same property as One West Hartford, but it really is on the other side of Trout Brook Drive.

• Jersey Mike’s Subs build-out is complete, and pending one more inspection should be opening next week, according to franchise owner Sarah Russell. I’ll have an update in next week’s column! It’s located in Prospect Plaza between the new Chipotle and also-soon-to-open Teriyaki Madness.

• Unsettled Geeks – a collectible shop carrying pop culture products, trading card games, anime merchandise, and Funko Pops – opened last week at Westfarms in the former Blue Moon space on the upper level outside Macy’s.

• Still no updates on the opening of Chick-fil-A in Bishops Corner. I know people have been asking and I followed up last week but they said there is no information yet to be shared about the owner-operator or opening date.

• The Crafted Cocktail has been bringing hand-crafted, high-quality cocktails to events in West Hartford and beyond – including the recent fashion show at Kimberly Boutique, and I was in touch last week with Matt Schneider, co-owner of the fully licensed mobile bar with his wife Ali. They have spent more than 20 years in hospitality the hospitality business, and according to Matt, who has worked at Max’s Oyster Bar for the past nine years, “we started this venture to bring handcrafted, high-quality cocktails directly to events across Connecticut — using fresh ingredients, house-made syrups, and creative presentation. While the business is based in Southington where they live, Ali also works at NBC CT right in West Hartford, and they have deep ties to the community. “Our custom trailer and satellite bars bring a stylish, turnkey cocktail experience to any event, and we love sharing recipes or ideas that viewers can recreate at home,” Matt said, noting that they’re available for brunches, graduations, or summer backyard parties. More information can be found on their website.

• Integrated communications firm CashmanKatz (CK) announced in a news release that have hired West Hartford resident Monika Russo as Media Director. In her new role, Russo will oversee all media strategy, planning, execution, and buying for the agency. She will lead the charge in developing and implementing comprehensive media strategies and plans for CK’s diverse client roster, ensuring campaigns are both innovative and results-driven across local and national markets. “I’m excited to join the talented team at CashmanKatz,” said Russo. “This agency has a reputation for creative excellence and strategic thinking. I look forward to bringing a fresh, data-informed perspective to media strategy that delivers strong, measurable results for our clients.” Before joining CashmanKatz, Russo spent a decade at Keiler & Company in Farmington, where she served as a media planner/buyer. There, she planned and executed integrated multimedia campaigns for national and regional clients, gaining extensive experience in both traditional and digital media. Her deep understanding of the Connecticut market, combined with national account expertise, gives her a unique perspective that aligns perfectly with CK’s client base. “We’re thrilled to welcome Monika to our team,” said Tony Cashman, President & CEO of CashmanKatz, and also a West Hartford resident. “Her strategic mindset and deep experience in media planning and buying will be instrumental as we continue to grow and evolve our client offerings. She brings a strong mix of local insight and national experience that will benefit every client we serve.” Russo earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Central Connecticut State University. She resides in West Hartford with her husband and two children.

• Hall High School graduate and West Hartford native Talya Smilowitz is returning to Connecticut, and has been named Cantor of Temple Beth Hillel at 20 Baker Lane in South Windsor as of July 1. According to a news release, from the time she was a young student at Solomon Schecter Day School in West Hartford, Smilowitz just loved to sing. Since those early years, the West Hartford native’s passion for music and Judaism led her to the Juilliard School, to different cantorial positions, and to singing performances around the world. “We are extremely pleased that Cantor Talya Smilowitz will join Temple Beth Hillel this summer, bringing her vision, and creative and meaningful music to our congregation,” says Jeff Levin, President of Temple Beth Hillel’s Board of Trustees. “Our congregation looks forward to her leadership, and we invite members of the Greater Hartford community to visit our Temple as we enter the next chapter in our history.” The 65-year-old Reform synagogue has been led by Rabbi Leah Benamy since 2023, when longtime Rabbi Jeffrey Glickman retired and became Rabbi Emeritus. “I look forward to stepping into this exciting role and witnessing the community grow and thrive,” said Smilowitz. “As the new Cantor of Temple Beth Hillel, my vision is to build a community where we unite and celebrate our differences around the shared beliefs and values that bind us together. Music will be an integral part of our Temple community and, when intertwined with prayer, music has the power to heal, touch our souls, and elevate us to a higher realm of spirituality and love.” She comes to Temple Beth Hillel from Congregation L’Dor V’Dor in Oyster Bay, NY, where she has served as its Cantor since July 2009. Before that, she was the Cantorial Soloist for two years at Temple Shaaray Tefila in Bedford Corners, NY, bringing dynamic musical programming and innovative worship to that community. She is a graduate of the Juilliard School in New York City (Bachelor of Music), the Manhattan School of Music (Master of Music), and the Cantors Assembly’s Cantorial Intern Program. The mother of two children enjoys teaching students voice, Hebrew, and how to chant from the Torah.

• As the West Hartford Center Infrastructure reconstruction progresses, I’ll continue to provide regular updates, including photos, in this column. It’s now been five weeks since the project commenced (see project details here) and the street trees on LaSalle Road have been removed (52 new trees will replace the 36 that were taken down), and there is more evidence of excavation in the Phase 1A and Phase 1B areas (the east side of LaSalle from Ellsworth to the Memorial Road Connector and the west side between Farmington Avenue and Central Optica). While access to all businesses remains open, over the past week there has been much more work done on the west side of LaSalle Road, with the installation of the soil cells for the new trees. According to an email update from the construction manager, “These underground structures are a game-changer for urban tree planting – providing vital soil volume, supporting healthy root growth, and helping manage stormwater.” Updated photos are below. Click here to see the phasing schedule provided by the town.

Remember, if you have any business news to share, add it in the comments section below or email Ronni Newton at editorial@we-ha.com.

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