With three new restaurants under construction, West Hartford residents are wondering when they will open, and two are on the verge of doing just that.

One of the most anticipated restaurants is Sally’s Apizza, which is being built inside the Jordan’s Furniture Store in Westfarms Shopping Center. Although the store is located just over the border in Farmington, it has created a buzz in both cities.

According to a spokesperson for Sally’s, construction of the Westfarms pizzeria will be “substantially complete” before Christmas and is expected to open “shortly thereafter.” The spokesman did not give a specific date, but said the opening was “imminent.”

The 4,000-square-foot restaurant, which will offer not only Sally’s signature cakes but also an 80-foot video demonstration, has already hired more than 30 people, a mix of part-time and full-time. The pizzeria expects to continue hiring additional employees, the spokesman said.

Founded in New Haven in 1938, Sally’s now has five locations, including one in Woburn, Massachusetts. The others are all in Connecticut – the original in New Haven as well as locations in Fairfield, Stamford and Wethersfield. The Westfarms pizzeria will be its sixth overall.

Sally’s also has three other locations in Connecticut – in Newington, Norwalk and South Windsor – and three other locations in Massachusetts – in Boston Seaport, Concord and Dorchester.

Another restaurant set to open soon is Just Salad, a fast-casual restaurant with 90 locations in seven states.

The national chain has completed renovations of the former Esquire Cleaners location at 2538 Albany Ave. in Bishops Plaza almost completed. Once completed, it will be the second Just Salad location in Connecticut, joining one in Fairfield. Additional locations are expected to open in Norwalk and Westport.

A company spokesman said the 230 square meter Bishops Corner restaurant was “tentatively scheduled to open early next year”, but did not give a specific date.

The spokesperson added that the restaurant will hire “approximately 18 to 20 employees” and plans to hold “one or two hiring events,” but said it is too early to announce when those will take place.

Just Salad has earned a reputation for its healthy menu and sustainable practices. This includes becoming the first U.S. restaurant to add a carbon label to its menu, helping customers understand the environmental impact of the items they purchase.

The other most anticipated new restaurant in Bishops Corner is Chick-fil-A, which is opening the 5,000-square-foot location at 2534 Albany Ave. renovated, which was vacated by McDonald’s in November 2023.

In an emailed statement from a company spokesperson, Chick-fil-A said the new restaurant “is expected to open in late spring 2025.” The statement added that “the locally owned and operated restaurant will create 80 to 120 jobs.”

The location will be the city’s second Chick-Fil-A; The first opened on New Park Avenue in 2017 and was recently renovated. However, unlike that location, the Albany Avenue restaurant will not have a drive-thru.

Eliot Gersten, an attorney with the law firm Pullman & Comley, is principal of Bishops Plaza LLC, which owns the 80,500-square-foot shopping center that is also home to Staples, Harvey’s Wine & Spirit Shop, Panera Bread, Supercuts and Dunkin’. . He said Chick-fil-a has made significant progress in its renovations.

“It’s not a big project, but it’s a lot of work to convert a McDonald’s into a Chick-fil-A,” he said.