The former Matrix Club in Naperville is being transformed into Aura Club & Conventions.
Ajay Sunkara, who owns the property at 808 S. Route 59, said the concept will be similar to that of the previous tenant, consisting of both a restaurant and an event venue for weddings, concerts and other social gatherings.
There will be no changes to the layout, which includes a ballroom, theater, restaurant and yoga studio, among other features, he said.
“The biggest change will be from the ownership standpoint. It will be a much more stable ownership,” Sunkara said. “We are the landlords for this facility as well (the owner). We were there from day one of when it was converted from the former Sam’s Club to what it is right now.”
The venue’s previous tenant, The Matrix Club, opened in September 2023, about eight months after owners initially announced it would be ready. According to Sunkara, the club owners stopped paying rent in fall 2024, leading to a lawsuit and a judge’s ruling in December 2025 that the club be evicted and the property returned to the owner/landlord.
The eviction took place last month, and those who had scheduled events there were left scrambling to find new venues.
Matrix Club owners started an appeal process in February over the eviction. There is a separate court case ongoing over the amount of rent owed to the property owner.
Sunkara said he looked at other tenants to fill the space but ultimately decided it would be easiest to operate it himself. He said he wanted to make sure he could help some of those who had contracts for upcoming events at The Matrix Club, including events that had been scheduled as far out as 2029.
None of the groups interested in taking over the space wanted to take on The Matrix’s Club outstanding obligations, he said. It was “in the interest of the community” to take over the operations himself, including offering those caught in the dispute to use the space at discounted rates, he said.
Many of the staff previously employed by The Matrix Club will be working at Aura Club, Sunkara said.
“We found it to be a very good opportunity and there is a lot of need (for this kind of venue) in the surrounding cities, including the city of Aurora, Naperville,” he said.
An opening date for Aura Club & Conventions is not yet set as Sunkara is still waiting on multiple permits from the city of Naperville and DuPage County, including a building permit, a health permit and a fire license. He hopes he will be “opening doors very shortly,” he said.
On Monday, a Class B restaurant and tavern liquor license, a Class K catering liquor license, a late-night liquor permit and an entertainment permit were approved by the Naperville Liquor Commission. Final approval will come from the Naperville City Council.
In addition to the ownership change, Sunkara said he plans to upgrade some of the venue’s features.
“We will be enhancing this facility, particularly the restaurant piece of the facility,” he said, noting that he believes the restaurant was not fully utilized under the previous tenant.
“We believe the restaurant hasn’t been taken to its full potential. We are actually currently working with Michelin-starred chefs right now to make sure it stands out to be one of the top restaurants in the city of Naperville,” said Sunkara, who declined to share the chefs’ names.
He added that other details, such as type of food to be served and the restaurant’s overall vibe, are still being worked out but he would like it to be a more well-established entity that will appeal to repeat guests with a lounge/bar area in addition to a traditional dining room.
“Once we get all the permits up and running, the idea is to have a separate entrance for the restaurant,” Sunkara said. “We’re working with our architects to get some new drawings on it and also (give it a) facelift a little bit for the restaurant part of it.”
Other renovations include replacing kitchen equipment that Sunkara said was damaged either before or during the eviction process.
Naperville police previously said that they observed “extensive damage to the interior of the business,” including “damage to televisions, walls, glass, etc.” Since the damage was not criminal in nature, police didn’t determine a dollar amount, Naperville police Cmdr. Rick Krakow said Tuesday.
Artwork with an estimated value of $25,000 was reported as stolen. Krakow said no arrests have been made for the theft or vandalism.
Police were also investigating a case of potential financial fraud since deposits were made to vendors following the eviction notice. After reviewing reports, police determined there is no evidence to support criminal charges.
“The reports we have received have been determined to be civil,” Krakow said.
cstein@chicagotribune.com
