West Hartford Business Buzz June 16: Openings, Closings and Other News

People in West Hartford love to be "in the know" about happenings in town, especially the openings — and closings — of local businesses. We hear things all the time, and some of them turn into big stories. But sometimes we don't have enough news to write an entire story, even though the information is definitely newsworthy. For a while we ran a "Visions for Vacancies" feature on Sundays, but it was getting to be difficult to find vacancies every week.

Every Sunday we'll highlight the business stories you may have missed during the past week, and give you the scoop on the other news you may not have heard about. And if you have tips about businesses opening or closing, please include them in the comments or send an email to ronni.newton@patch.com.

• Not only was there a "celebrity" sighting at Besito this week, but the special guest was very generous with anyone in the bar who claimed to be a fan! New England Patriot Hall of Fame inductee, former linebacker, and three-time super bowl champ, Tedy Bruschi was dining alone at the bar at Besito in West Hartford on Wednesday night. "Feeling like celebrating the former linebacker bought shots of pricey Partida Elegante tequila ($45 a shot) for fans at the bar," according to a spokesperson for Besito. Bruschi himself paired his celebratory shots with crab cakes and filet mignon.
• Webster Bank is investing $2 million to improve all four West Hartford branches, particularly the one on LaSalle Rd. in the Center and Bishops Corner, according to an announcement posted on Patch this week. The West Hartford Center branch will get another walk-up ATM and a new floor plan, and a drive-through ATM will be added in Bishops Corner. All four banking centers will have WiFi hotspots and coin counters as well.
• The feature story on Harvest Country Store was published on Friday. There are surprises (black water and pretzel cones to name a few) in every aisle of the unique organic coffee bar/ice cream parlor/convenience store. The "Wickles" relish this editor purchased will be tested out at a barbecue this weekend!
• If you're heading to the Connecticut shore, you may want to check out the A.C. Petersen Farms Drive-In, which replaced the legendary Hallmark Drive-In at 113 Shore Rd. in Old Lyme. The restaurant opened on May 20.
• Congratulations to West Hartford resident Greg Bordonaro, who will take over as editor of the Hartford Business Journal beginning July 1.
• Also posted on the Business Update Board is an announcement by Solinsky EyeCare, that they have "exceeded" expectations in a recent patient survey by Allergan/BSM Consulting, some valuable summer travel tips from Citizen's Bank, and the announcement that Filomeno & Company's wealth management division has a new alliance with Private Capital Group, LLC (PCG).