The strip mall at North Aurora Road and Raymond Drive that sat two-thirds empty for years has its first new tenant.

TESO Life, a national Asian department store chain, opened Sunday, July 12, at 1555 N. Aurora Road in what is now called NPV City Market. The 18,000-square-foot store is the first business to welcome customers at the redeveloped Riverbrook Shopping Center, where six more Asian-focused restaurants and retailers have signed on, with openings projected through 2027.

Houston-based NewQuest Asia-Pacific Retail acquired the 140,892-square-foot center in an off-market deal after its former anchor, Dominick's, closed and occupancy dropped to roughly 35%. The developer manages a portfolio valued at more than $2.3 billion as of early 2026, according to the Naperville Development Partnership, and specializes in building retail destinations in communities with large Asian populations. Nearly 20% of Naperville's residents are Asian, and the five-mile trade area around the center includes about 217,000 people with average household incomes near $150,000.

Infrastructure work underway at the 19.8-acre site includes upgraded electrical capacity for restaurant tenants, facade improvements, and new landscaping. Heather Nguyen, development partner at NewQuest Asia-Pacific Retail, has called the project the firm's first Asian-focused development in Illinois.

"If you've never been to Asia, technically you can just visit our TESO Life store to explore our Asian culture," said Su Jeon, marketing manager for TESO Group. "We like to be a cultural hub."

Founded in 2017 by entrepreneur Andy Lin, TESO Life carries Japanese and Asian beauty products, snacks, collectible toys including blind-box brands like Smiski and Sonny Angel, and home goods. The Naperville location is the company's second in Illinois after its Niles store, with a third planned for Rolling Meadows later in 2026. The store is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The center's largest tenant will be 99 Ranch Market, a 40,000-square-foot Asian supermarket chain with 66 locations in 11 states. It will be the chain's first Illinois store. Naperville Development Partnership President Monica Conners told the Chicago Tribune that 99 Ranch now expects to open in 2027, later than originally projected.

Kitakata Ramen plans to open at the center in fall 2026, according to Jason Ostick, general manager of the chain's Hoffman Estates location. Gen Korean BBQ, Fat Miilk Coffee, Ba Le Sandwiches, and Tokyo Shokudo round out the confirmed tenant list, though opening dates for those four have not been announced.

NewQuest's long-term vision calls for more than 20 businesses at NPV City Market spanning restaurants, retail, and experiential uses. The center sits near the Metra line, which NewQuest has cited as a draw for the location.

TESO Life is open at 1555 N. Aurora Road, Suite 113. Kitakata Ramen targets fall 2026; 99 Ranch Market is expected in 2027.