It’s business as usual in Naperville.
Multiple companies are expanding their footprint in Illinois’ third largest city, offering everything from customizable burritos to Italian sandwiches to acai bowls. Here’s what you need to know about what’s coming and going.
Oberweis/Giordano’s scoop shop
Oberweis opened a scoop shop Tuesday inside the Girodano’s restaurant at 119 S. Main St. It is the first time the famed deep-dish pizza maker has hosted another restaurant brand inside one of its locations. For Oberweis, it is their first scoop shop that won’t double as a dairy store.
In addition to a full menu of ice cream treats, the new shop is featuring two limited-time specials exclusive to the Giordano’s location.
The Top Flyin’ Frostbite, inspired by Naperville Central High School, “blends strawberry sweetness with rich peanut butter cup ice cream, finished with whipped cream and a touch of sprinkles,” according to a joint company news release. The Huskie Dream, inspired by Naperville North High School, “pairs bright orange sherbet with classic vanilla, served in a blue and orange sprinkle-coated bowl and topped with marshmallow and whipped cream.”
Deep Purpl Acai Bowls, Lizzano Foccacia and Spritzeria
Two new restaurants, Deep Purpl and Lizzano Foccacia and Spritzeria, are coming to downtown Naperville in August.
Sharing the space previously occupied by Trails & Tides at 120 Water St., the former is a smoothie and acai bowl shop and the latter specializes in Italian paninis and drinks. Deep Purpl currently has 12 locations, with 11 in Chicago and one in San Francisco. Lizzano has four stores all located in Chicago.
Founder Gabriel Fleury started Deep Purpl about six years ago after he finished studying business at Loyola University, according to Lizzano manager João Oliveira. Originally from Brazil, Fleury started Deep Purpl because he wanted to share his culture with Chicago.
“We started with one store, obviously, and it was very good,” Oliveira said. “We were selling more than we expected and since that time, we’ve been growing much faster than we could (have expected), so it all came from the roots in Brazil.”
But Fleury did not want to stop there. In 2024, he traveled to Italy where he learned everything he could about Italian sandwiches.
“His family has roots in Italy as well. So he’s part (Italian), part Brazilian,” Oliveira said, noting that the first Lizzano opened last year. “… He learned a lot. He spent some time there in Italy, and then when he came back to Chicago, he and his partner decided to start Lizzano as well,”
At Deep Purpl, patrons can look forward to smoothies and bowls of acai, a Brazilian berry blended into a sorbet, topped with everything from bananas and strawberries to cacao bits and peanut butter.
As for the sandwich shop, the company’s best selling item is their “Lizzano,” which includes prosciutto di parma, mozzarella, tomatoes, salt, olive oil and basil on focaccia bread. Beyond sandwiches, other offerings include tiramisu, meat and cheese boards, and drinks like aperol spritz.
Five Guys on Route 59 closed, new Guzman Y Gomez, Ulta stores coming
Naperville residents looking to get their Five Guys fix will now have to go to the one downtown.
About a month and a half ago, the Five Guys at 2856 S. Route 59 shut its doors for good, a manager at the downtown Naperville location confirmed. A real estate listing shows that the property is available for lease.
But even as residents say goodbye to one business, there are two new businesses putting down new roots.
One is Guzman y Gomez’s second Naperville location. It’s expected to open at 844 S. Route 59 in Naperville in late 2026, according to a news release from the company.
The new store is part of a broader expansion for the fast, casual Mexican-inspired chain, with two other new locations planned for Chicago in the Lincoln Square and Lakeview neighborhoods.
“At GYG, we’re not just opening restaurants, we’re building a long-term business in the communities we are present,” founder and Co-CEO Steven Marks said in the release. “Chicagoland has been an important proving ground for us, and we are investing in great people, great locations and, most importantly, great food. Our focus is simple: real ingredients, cooked fresh, with speed and consistency our guests can enjoy every day.”
Naperville was the first city in the U.S. to have a Guzman y Gomez Mexican Kitchen when the Australia-based chain opened in 2020 on Naper Boulevard near Ogden Avenue.
“We’ve put down real roots there and support or sponsor the community Naper Nights, local schools, local sports,” Marks wrote in a separate statement to the Naperville Sun. “Locals have embraced what we were doing from day one and that response has only grown. ”
There are currently over 270 Guzman y Gomez locations worldwide, eight of which are in the Chicago area, including Schaumburg, Crystal Lake, Buffalo Grove, Deerfield, Evanston, Des Plaines and Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood.
The chain offers customizable burritos, bowls and tacos alongside breakfast options like their “brekkie burrito” filled with scrambled eggs, pico de gallo, jack cheese, hash browns, chipotle mayo and a choice of meat and veggies.
Ulta Beauty is leaving its 2707 Aurora Ave. location for new digs at 220 S. Route 59. A grand opening is planned for June 12, a company spokesperson confirmed.
The new store, with more than 11,000 square feet, will offer more than 30,000 makeup products from about 600 established and emerging beauty brands, the company said. Beyond retail offerings, it will feature a salon and beauty bar where customers can receive ear piercings in addition to hair, brow and makeup services.
Customers can also look forward to trying the new Wellness by Ulta Beauty boutique, a curated in-store shopping experience focused on wellness products and services. The boutique is currently being piloted at select Ulta locations, including stores in Virginia, Massachusetts and Ohio, according to Forbes.
cstein@chicagotribune.com
