West Hartford Business Buzz April 28: 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.

• The big business news this week was the opening of Five Guys in Bishops Corner. The popular fast casual burger restaurant was not supposed to open until July according to information they provided last fall, so the Monday opening was a surprise to many. Who has already been to the new Five Guys Burgers & Fries in West Hartford?
  
• Kudos to Liljedahl Bros. of West Hartford, for the work they did helping the Hartford-based Dress for Success non-profit by joining forces with other local contractors to provide some much-needed renovations.
• Businesses in the Park Road neighborhood have joined forces to do some collaborative cross-marketing. Their initiative is named "Meet Me on Park," and Fresh Ink owner Dave Austin hopes it will make the Park Road area, with its many eclectic businesses and hidden treasures, more than a one-stop destination for shoppers and diners.
• It's official. The new "Tap Room" sign has replaced the "Sidebar" sign in the space adjacent to the Elbow Room. The renovated space has a wooden bar and 50 varieties of draft beer.
• West Hartford-based BlumShapiro has announced that it is once again hosting a 5K to kick off the area's premier golf tournament, the Travelers Championship. The event will be held on June 8. It's a charity fundraiser and participants also receive a one-day ticket for the 2013 Travelers Championship.