L.L.Bean opens this month; soup dumplings and Uzbek food coming to Naperville
From restaurants to popular retail brands, new businesses have confirmed plans or opening dates for the fall in Naperville. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s coming.
Westridge Court/Block 59
The highly anticipated L.L.Bean store has a Sept. 25 opening date at the Westridge Court shopping center off Route 59, between Jefferson and Aurora avenues, where it will be selling such iconic products as the “Bean Boot” and the “Boat and Tote” in a new 16,000-square-foot space.
Naperville will be the fourth Illinois location for the company, joining stores in South Barrington, Oak Brook and Skokie.
The outdoor clothing and lifestyle brand is taking over a spot formerly occupied by Bed Bath & Beyond at 336 S. Route 59, located between the Wayfair Outlet store and Five Below. The storefront has been vacant since 2023, when Bed Bath & Beyond declared bankruptcy.
Also coming to Westridge Court in September are Jamba Juice and Auntie Anne’s, which will be partnering on a joint location selling smoothies and soft pretzels when it opens Sept. 17.
Karan Kumar, co-owner of the franchise at 376 S. Route 59, said he is a big fan of smoothies.
“I am a person who is more (partial) towards healthy food,” Kumar said. “I had these weight issues. I wanted to lose weight so I wanted to eat healthy food, so that is the reason (why) I was looking for smoothie options.”
His love of smoothies combined with his experience in the food industry through his family’s business in India inspired him to bring a Jamba Juice to Naperville, where he currently lives. He said he decided to combine the Jamba Juice with Auntie Anne’s to help attract customers year round, particularly in the winter when a cold smoothie may not sound the most appealing.
At the adjacent Block 59 dining and entertainment complex, a popular Chinese restaurant is joining the lineup.
While an opening date has yet to be announced, Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings will be moving into one of the buildings set to be constructed at Block 59, said Alix Karafiat, a Block 59 marketing director.
The first Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings location opened in Flushing, New York, in 2006 and has since received a myriad recognitions, including from the Michelin Guide, according to the company’s website. The brand currently has restaurants on the East Coast as well as in Georgia and Ohio. A location in Chicago opened on Aug. 29, making Naperville its second Illinois-based restaurant.
Customers can look forward to feasting on everything from crab and pork soup dumplings and pan-fried buns to stir-fried rice cakes and noodles.
Other new businesses
Joining the Naperville restaurant lineup is Vasco’s Peri Peri, serving Indo-American and Portuguese cuisine at 3124 S. Route 59.
Naperville will mark the fourth location for the business, which already has locations in Schaumburg, Lombard and Arlington Heights.
Ketan Patel, manager for the Lombard location, said that Vasco’s already receives a lot of customers from Naperville, which influenced the company to open a location there. The business hopes to open by the end of September.
One of their most popular dishes is the Peri Peri chicken, a traditional Portuguese dish that uses African bird’s eye chili and is served either with rice, in a sandwich or on its own. Other dishes include their tandoori chicken burger, chicken tikka on garlic naan and wraps.
Another Yemeni coffee shop along Naperville’s Route 59 corridor is also preparing to open its doors.
Shibam Coffee at 1120 S. Route 59 is aiming for a mid- to late-September opening, said Sohail Quddussi, franchise co-owner for the Naperville location.
Quddussi said he first got the idea to open a Yemeni coffee shop about three years ago when he saw similar businesses pop up in other suburbs. He was particularly taken with the build out for the Shibam Coffee in Glendale Heights and knew he wanted to bring one to Naperville.
The 5,000-square-foot shop will feature everything from classic Yemeni spiced milk tea called Adeni chai to refreshers like the Shibam Royal, a mango smoothie with evaporated milk.
Like other Yemeni coffee shops in the area, Shibam will be open late. Planned hours of operation are from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily.
Also coming to Naperville is Tashkent Grill House, which is serving traditional Eastern cuisine presented in a modern style.
Executive chef and owner Djasur Khusanov hopes to open his restaurant in October and is bringing more than 20 years of experience to his new venture at 1995 Springbrook Square Drive. Some of the dishes he plans to offer include traditional Uzbek rice pilaf and a Georgian cheese bread called khachapuri.
Originally from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Khusanov has previously worked in restaurants in Europe and Central Asia, including in Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
He has also worked in a few restaurants in the U.S., including as a cook at Milliy Family Restaurant in Naperville. Eventually, Khusanov decided he wanted to open his own restaurant in Naperville since he felt there was a lack of Uzbek and Georgian cuisine in the city.
Outside of working in restaurants, Khusanov has also competed in an Uzbek rice pilaf cooking contest in New Jersey, an event held in celebration of Uzbekistan Independence Day. He said he won second place in that competition in 2024 and 2025.
cstein@chicagotribune.com