West Hartford Business Buzz for August 18: Openings, Closings and Other News

West Hartford residents 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.

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 ted.glanzer@patch.com.

Are you like me and can’t wait for Frank Pepe’s Pizza of West Hartford to open in Elmwood? They plan on opening in mid-September, according to their Facebook page. In preparation of the big day, Pepe’s is running a number of TV spots called “Pepes and Me. We Know Pizza!” No arguments.

Forever 21, a trendy clothing store at Westfarms mall, moved into a larger space on Saturday. The store nearly tripled its size to 22,500 square feet, leaving its upstairs location for a new lower level spot next to Macy's.

In case you missed it, this story on Work in Progress Group Fitness was a hit on Monday. Co-owners Kate Doyle and Laura Keever, both of West Hartford, have a simple, but effective business model: have a gym that they would want to attend. So far, so good.

Congratulations to Mark Resnisky, former owner of West Hartford’s Back Porch Bistro, and Butch Tougas, of Newington, on the upcoming opening of their new restaurant The Local Grill, which is moving into the space previously occupied by Papacelle and Trattoria Il Trullo in Avon's Riverdale Farms Shopping Center this fall.