Steakhouse to replace Catch 35 in downtown Naperville; Eddie Bauer space already leased

Living up to its name, the Empire Restaurant Group is growing again.

The Cullen family’s flagship restaurant has become synonymous with downtown Naperville nightlife, serving up towering, Angus beef burgers, live music, a retractable rooftop deck and views of the DuPage River.

Now, the culinary minds behind Empire Burgers + Brew plan to open The Belmont, a steakhouse slated to take over the high-profile space that previously held Catch 35, a seafood restaurant that closed last year at the Washington Street gateway into downtown.

It’s among the latest dining and retail developments in the downtown.

Eddie Bauer was set to mark its last day Wednesday amid other store closings reported across the country. The purveyor of flannel and outdoor gear had been a fixture of the downtown Naperville shopping scene.

However, the space has been leased, and “news of an exciting new retailer will be coming soon,” Katie Wood, executive director of the Downtown Naperville Alliance, confirmed via email Wednesday.

Also on the horizon: Lilly Pulitzer, whose signature shift dresses, a summer staple worn by the likes of Jackie O, come in every kind of tropical and preppy print under the Palm Beach sun. A new boutique will be part of a line of upscale shops at the edge of the downtown core.

The Lilly store will be opening by spring in the Main Street Promenade, Wood said, joining the Kendra Scott jewelry shop, Sur La Table, a J. Jill store and Hugo's Frog Bar & Fish House.

The city council last year approved a variance allowing Barry’s, formerly known as Barry's Bootcamp, to occupy a first-floor spot within the Main Street Promenade East building, home to the adjacent Evereve boutique and nearby Lululemon. A fact sheet from the Kite Realty Group indicates a fitness concept is “coming soon” to a roughly 4,300-square-foot space.

With its vibrant, French-inspired pastries, Le Macaron also is expected to open by the first half of 2026 and “will surely add to the sweetness of our downtown,” Wood noted.