​Biz Beat – insurance ​and chocolate ​and bagels

In this Business Beat roundup, we spotlight three diverse businesses united by their common venue in Connecticut's Farmington Valley •

Special to Today Online

Biz Name — Matt Martin State Farm

Hopmeadow Street • Simsbury • Connecticut

President • Agent — Matt Martin

860-408-9592

Email — Matt@insurewithmattm. com

Website — www.insurewithmattm.com

Biz Type — Corporation • Martin Insurance and Financial Services Inc.

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• Martin has answered this Q&A about his agency

• Year established — December 2023

• Mission

At our State Farm agency in Simsbury, we are dedicated to providing our community with comprehensive insurance solutions and exceptional customer service. Our mission is to protect what matters most to our clients — be it their homes, vehicles, businesses or lives — while fostering lasting relationships built on trust and transparency. We strive to empower our clients with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their insurance needs, ensuring peace of mind for every stage of life. Together, we aim to contribute to the resilience and prosperity of Simsbury, supporting our neighbors with personalized service and a commitment to excellence.

• Summary of goods and services

Home, auto, life, business insurance — financial services

 • Why you chose this profession and decided to start the business

I got into insurance during the pandemic. I was previously a personal trainer in Avon. In my time working there, I fell in love with the area. When I had the opportunity to interview for a State Farm agency, Simsbury was an option and I knew there was no place I would rather establish my business.

• Other highlights and further info

• Where were you working as a personal trainer?

I got my start at the Healthtrax in Avon in 2016. I worked there for two years and the Farmington Valley became like a second home to me.

• Why did you decide to make the move from training to the insurance industry?

When the pandemic hit, gyms were a nonessential business, which made me rethink my current position and look for a long-term career. Insurance was a natural fit as it has many similarities to personal training.

As a personal trainer, and now insurance agent, I have the ability to help people with something they may not be the most familiar with or comfortable with. I enjoy the ability to simplify the complex, and provide the best customer experience possible. When I switched to insurance, it was a natural fit for me.

• Where did you grow up and where do you live now?

I grew up in Saranac Lake, NY and currently live in Simsbury.

• Education

Graduate of Saranac Lake High School and SUNY Oswego in 2015 — bachelor of science degree in wellness management with a minor in health science

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Biz Name — Chokaico Bean-to-Bar Chocolate

Simsbury Road • Avon CT

Owner — Fernando Velez

860-470-3428

Email — fernando@chokaico. com

Website — www.chokaico.com

Biz Type — Sole Proprietor

• Velez has answered this Q&A about his business

• Year established — December 2024 at Avon shop — I started hosting pop-up events in 2023

• Mission

Chokaico Craft Chocolate (aka Chokaico Bean-to-Bar Chocolate) is a bean-to-bar chocolate shop where specialty cacao beans from around the world are roasted in-house and transformed into decadent chocolate bars in dark, milk and oat milk.

• Summary of goods and services

• Single-origin chocolate products: dark, milk and oat milk chocolate bars

• Dried fruits dipped in dark chocolate

• Hot and cold chocolate

• Single-origin coffee and mochas made with our decadent drinking chocolate

Chokaico Craft Chocolate is a to-die-for bean-to-bar chocolate shop where specialty cacao beans from Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and other unique origins are roasted in-house and transformed into the best dark chocolate bars.

• Why you chose this profession and decided to start the business

After running a home-based business for three years and doing pop-up events to sell dark chocolate bars at wineries, coffee houses and specialty shops, I discovered the perfect location for taking my craft to the next level: the historic Avon Train Station — the repurposed station was moved from its previous location near Main Street to Riverdale Farms Shopping Center, a foodie heaven in a serene shopping plaza with ample parking.

Now, customers from near and far come to this beautifully decorated shop to taste a variety of single-origin dark chocolate and milk chocolate bars, delightful dried fruits and rich hot chocolate — one of the biggest sellers, as folks love the depth and decadence of a single-origin beverage to warm both body and soul on a cold day.

Indeed, the decor and the decadence of Chokaico Craft Chocolate transport customers to a Parisian confectionery boutique, where they can sample many varieties of single-origin plain bars, as well as some creative toppings, such as toasted coconut candy, chile-spiced pineapples and mangos, dried raspberries and strawberries, peppermint puff candy and honey-glazed pecans. And if that’s not the stuff of some seriously sweet dreams, what is?

• Other highlights and further info

Chokaico Craft Chocolate has won an award in 2025 in the Craft Chocolat Challenge sponsored by Indiana-based Chocolat Café.

Fernando Velez is also a Grammy-nominated percussionist and founding member of Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings, a renowned soul band.

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Biz Name — The Blue House Bagel Co. & Cafe

Albany Turnpike • Canton CT

Owner — Lia F. Safalow

860-729-7960

Email — Lia@bluehousebagelco. com

Website — www.bluehousebagelco.com

Biz Type — Corporation

• Safalow has answered this Q&A about her business

• Year established — March 2023

• Mission

To change the way people think about bagels — to serve the best quality in a historic building using a clean sourdough meticulous method.

• Summary of goods and services

Sourdough bagels made with unbleached unbromated Vermont milled flour, sea salt, organic malt, mother dough and a three-day process — making them gluten-sensitive friendly — each bagel contains 12-15 grams of protein and minimal to no blood-sugar spike!

 • Why you chose this profession and decided to start the business

I wanted to change the way people think and feel about food.

• Other highlights and further info — declined to comment +

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