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www.HartfordBusiness.com • December 10, 2018 • Hartford Business Journal 5 El Pollo Guapo debuts in Hartford's Front Street district A new lunch and dinner eatery known for its rotisserie chicken bowls has debuted in downtown Hartford's Front Street entertainment district. Wethersfield-based El Pollo Guapo opened its doors Dec. 5 in 2,600 square feet that formerly housed Qdoba Mexican Grill. The 54-seat restaurant, next to Infinity Music Hall, is owned by Heather and Roy Riedl. Menu items include rotisserie chicken, tacos, rice bowls, chicken quesadillas, plantains, wraps, roasted vegetables, and beer and wine. Front Street is also expected to house another new tenant in 2019 — seafood restaurant Boiling SOHO. PURA preliminarily denies $1.1B CT Water deal State regulators have preliminarily denied a California company's $1.1 billion proposed acquisition of Connecticut Water Service Inc. and its three subsidiaries, adding a new wrinkle to a deal that's been filled with starts, stops and plenty of drama. In a Dec. 3 draft decision, the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) said it shot down the buyout proposal because the deal would leave Connecticut Water in "worse condition both financially and managerially." In addition, PURA commissioners are worried that the deal lacks binding commitments to maintain a Connecticut headquarters and protect local jobs, threatens a mandate that public utilities maintain local control, and doesn't offer enough of a public benefit. PURA said its decision is not yet final and could change. It will consider arguments from SJW and other parties before issuing a final decision Dec. 12. In a statement, SJW said it's reviewing PURA's drafted decision with Connecticut Water and that it will continue working with the agency to ensure the merger is in the public interest. The Hartford acquires 'sharing economy' startup The Hartford Financial Services Group announced it has acquired a Unionville-based startup that helps insurers price policies for the "sharing and on-demand economy," targeting platforms like Airbnb, Uber and Lyft. The Hartford did not disclose what it paid for Y-Risk, but said the amount is not material to its financial results. Founded in 2015, Y-Risk also helps manage the underwriting of policies for delivery, valet, storage and other services, as well as cybersecurity. The seller is Georgia-based Allstar Financial Group. The Hartford said Y-Risk will be a part of its Strategy & Ventures group's portfolio and will remain in Unionville under its existing brand and with its existing workforce. United Bank resets its mortgage desk Hartford community lender United Bank says it has realigned its mortgage- banking operation, resulting in an unspecified number of staff layoffs. The flagship of United Financial Bancorp, headquartered in downtown's Goodwin Square skyscraper, confirmed the action is a response to mounting competitive pressure among mortgage lenders to originate home loans just as rising rates appear to be blunting consumer-loan demand. United did not say how many workers have been, or will be, idled. A bank spokesman said United counts more than 700 staffers. The company reported 808 full-time equivalent employees at the end of September, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. United stressed that it is not abandoning mortgage underwriting. UConn glucose- monitoring tech startup yields $3M investment A UConn-based life sciences company developing a non-surgical, implantable glucose monitoring system has scored a $3 million investment to advance its technology. Biorasis, developed by UConn professors at the school's Technology Incubation Program in Farmington, has received $3 million in funding from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, which supports a variety of organizations focused on health and medical research. School officials said the Helmsley Trust funding is a program-related investment in the form of a loan, and will help preclinical advancement of Biorasis' technology. The startup is developing a small, minimally invasive biosensor, called the Glucowizzard, to track glucose levels for diabetes patients. The device is implanted beneath the skin and wirelessly communicates with a watch- like unit displaying glucose levels. 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