More than 15 businesses have opened or plan to open across Naperville, touching every quadrant of the city.

Monica Conners, president of the Naperville Development Partnership, outlined the wave of openings at the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce's 2026 State of the Naperville Commercial Real Estate event on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the Yellow Box. The city now has more than 400 restaurants, she said, and the list keeps growing.

"Naperville has always attracted a variety of different types of restaurants to support the diverse community, and this list of new restaurants features everything from ramen to Peri Peri," Conners said, as first reported by NCTV17.

Downtown Naperville is adding Cantina Taco Grill, a Mexican restaurant at 15 W. Jefferson Ave. scheduled to open Oct. 29. Deep Purpl, a Brazilian açaí bowl cafe, has opened at 120 Water St. I Heart Gyro, a Mediterranean restaurant, is open at 22 E. Chicago Ave. SEE Eyewear, a Michigan-founded eyewear company, is headed to 214 S. Main St. in November.

The northwest side is adding several new restaurants. Shinhwa Korean Steakhouse opened Oct. 1 at 2856 Patriot's Lane. Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai, a Japanese ramen restaurant, opened Saturday, Oct. 10, at 1603 N. Aurora Road. The Juicy Seafood, a Cajun-style seafood spot, is at 1915 Glacier Park Ave.

Cafe Purrfection, a cat cafe at 1550 N. Route 59, plans to open in mid-November with 10 rescue cats from the Wheaton-based Animal Rescue Foundation (A.R.F.), all available for adoption. Owner Carol Jamil told the Chicago Tribune on Oct. 11 that she was inspired after visiting a similar cafe in Missouri. The space will feature a cafe with a book nook on one side and a glass-walled cat play area on the other.

On the northeast side, Cold Stone Creamery is reopening at 931 W. 75th St. after its downtown location closed in 2024. Aloha Acai Bowls opened in August at 1012 N. Washington St. Butter and Batch Bakery opened Aug. 4 at 2863 95th St. MOM's Organic Market, a grocery store, is scheduled to open in spring 2027 at 1163 E. Ogden Ave.

Southwest Naperville is picking up new tenants too. Vasco's Peri Peri, an Indian-Portuguese restaurant, began a soft opening the week of Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 3124 S. Route 59. Shwarma Stop is open at 1292 Rickert Drive. BODYBAR Pilates is scheduled to open in early December at 2936 Showplace Drive.

The openings are translating into measurable gains. Conners said at the Wednesday, Oct. 7, event that downtown Naperville's economic growth, tracked through the city's Placer AI software, is up 15% year over year. Block 59 has seen a 125% year-over-year increase, and the Riverbrook Shopping Center is up 11% since TESO Life opened. Conners said the new stores are driving increases in visitor traffic and sales tax revenue that help diversify the local economy.

Business week ahead

  • Saturday, Oct. 17: Russian School of Mathematics grand opening, 3124 Route 59. The K-12 after-school math program opens its south Naperville location.
  • Oct. 29: Cantina Taco Grill opens at 15 W. Jefferson Ave. in downtown Naperville.
  • Mid-November: Cafe Purrfection targets opening at 1550 N. Route 59, featuring rescue cats and cat-themed drinks.
  • Early December: BODYBAR Pilates opens at 2936 Showplace Drive in southwest Naperville.
  • Spring 2027: MOM's Organic Market opens at 1163 E. Ogden Ave.