West Hartford Business Buzz for Oct. 13: Openings, Closings and Other News

Last week was one of side-by-side openings in Blue Back Square and Bishops Corner.

Potbelly Sandwich Shop and Gift-ology opened their locations next to one another on Memorial Road.

Gift-ology opened on Oct. 6. “Our tag line is ‘Perfecting gift giving,’” owner Camile Hannoush told Patch in an interview in August. “That’s what we’ve done. We’ve placed together some of the top brands in the country for gifts.”

Potbelly had an invitation-only soft opening on Oct. 8 with the official opening to the public taking place on the 9th. "It's going great," said manager Mark Buczkiewicz in an interview last Wednesday. "It's very exciting to be in West Hartford. Business is going well."

Not to be outdone, Bishops Corner had dual openings at 395 N. Main St. (aka the Marshall’s plaza).

Pet Valu, a pet supply store that specializes in holistic pet nutrition, as well as toys, litter, treats and grooming supplies, opened on Oct. 6.

Then Qdoba Mexican Grill opened on Oct. 7. The restaurant, just the second one in Connecticut, offers a fast-casual Mexican dining experience.

In other news, the second Doctors Express urgent care medical facility in Connecticut will open in the Boulevard Shops at 1030 Boulevard sometime this winter, according to a press release. “With a staff of board certified physicians, physician assistants and APRN’s, X-ray technicians, and medical assistants, the urgent care center will employ between 15-20 full and part-time employees,” the release states.

The Pond House and A Little Something Bakery, two popular eateries in the West Hartford area, will be making donations to the Companions for Living event, “Vino and a Show,” according to an announcement. The event will take place Oct. 24 from 5:30 to 8 pm at Playhouse on Park, located at 244 Park Road.

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.