'Cherry on top': JoJo's Shake Bar in Naperville hopes to open eyes again with patio treehouse
Months after opening to controversy in downtown Naperville over its splashy exterior paint scheme, JoJo's Shake Bar is adding the finishing touches on the location with the franchise's typical unique flair.
Call it the cherry on top for the diner and bar that features decadent shakes, milk and cookie flights and other desserts.
The operators are taking full advantage of the 1,500-square-foot, second-story outdoor space in the back of the building by creating a partially covered patio treehouse. It will feature an artificial tree trunk, swings instead of chairs, disco balls instead of traditional lighting, vines and decorative walls.
Madi VanDeVelde, JoJo's public relations director, said plans for the outdoor space were in the works as soon as JoJo's secured the location. Then it came down to deciding on a theme and waiting for nice weather to unveil it.
The treehouse officially will open on Monday, but visitors may enjoy a sneak peek if the work is finished early and the weather cooperates.
“This is definitely the cherry on top,” VanDeVelde said of the restaurant at 5 Jackson Ave. “The treehouse is kind of a play off the Lost Boys from ‘Peter Pan' and never wanting to grow up. It plays to the nostalgia theme we have with the rest of the restaurant.”
JoJo's, which opened in February in Naperville, came under fire last year from members of the city's planning and zoning commission for its exterior paint scheme with a turquoise accent that looks like dripping ice cream extending down past the top of the second-floor windows.
One commissioner called the dripping effect a “sore thumb,” but the paint scheme adheres to city code.
Now JoJo's is giving people something else to talk about with the treehouse.
“It'll be a fun vibe out there,” VanDeVelde said.
Kid-friendly, retro themes are nothing new for JoJo's. VanDeVelde said the Chicago location in River North has numerous pop-up themes in the parking lot, including one focused on the Candy Land board game and an upcoming summer tribute to the 1990s.
At the Naperville location, the treehouse can be rented out for up to 150 guests.
Treehouse space, however, can't be reserved when it's open to the public. It'll be seated on a first-come, first-served basis.
“When you think of the family friendliness of Naperville, the treehouse is something kids could relate to, and adults could remember from their childhood,” VanDeVelde said. “We thought it was the perfect theme for this location.”