Naperville's New Food Map This Fall Runs Along Route 59

Four Naperville kitchens started serving in the first two weeks of October. Shinhwa Korean Steakhouse opened Oct. 1 on Patriot's Lane. Shibam Coffee opened Oct. 3 on South Route 59. Vasco's Peri Peri began a soft opening the week of Oct. 6, also on Route 59, and Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai opened Oct. 10 on North Aurora Road.

None of the four is downtown. Each one is built around a single regional tradition: Kitakata-style Japanese ramen, Yemeni coffee and tea, an Indian-Portuguese peri peri menu, and Korean barbecue. Naperville already has more than 400 restaurants, according to Monica Conners, president of the Naperville Development Partnership, in NCTV17's Oct. 13 roundup. In a market that crowded, this fall's most distinctive new places went into shopping-center suites along the city's big commercial roads. Downtown is mostly adding names people already know.

Here is where things stand in late October, sorted by where you would actually drive.

South Route 59: one menu, one tradition

The south end of Route 59 picked up three of the season's most focused menus within a few miles of each other.

Shibam Coffee, 1120 S. Route 59. Owner Sohail Quddussi opened this Yemeni coffeehouse on Oct. 3, NCTV17 reported. The space covers 5,000 square feet, with dining room seating and conference rooms, so it can host a meeting as well as a coffee stop. Block 59's preview listed Adeni chai, a classic Yemeni spiced milk tea, and the Shibam Royal, a mango smoothie made with evaporated milk. A grand opening with a Yemeni band is planned for Nov. 15.

Vasco's Peri Peri, 3124 S. Route 59, Suite 146. This Indian-Portuguese restaurant began its soft opening in early October. Block 59 had earlier listed a target of the end of September, so it opened close to schedule.

Dumont Creamery & Café, 448 S. Route 59. Founders Vivek and Bhaskar Inampudi opened an Indian-inspired ice cream shop that also serves boba and coffee. Its grand opening weekend started Aug. 21, according to Patch.

Farther southwest, Shwarma Stop is listed among the new storefronts at 1292 Rickert Drive, Suite 104.

Route 59 was also supposed to get a national chain. Guzman y Gomez, the fast-casual Mexican brand, had a restaurant under construction at 844 S. Route 59 with a fall 2026 opening planned. In May, NCTV17 reported that the company was leaving the U.S. market and closing its existing U.S. restaurants, and the future of the Naperville site was unclear. So the corridor's chain opening fell through. The independent, single-tradition places opened on time.

Northwest Naperville: ramen, barbecue and Cajun seafood

Aurora Road and the streets near North Route 59 added three more single-cuisine kitchens.

Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai, 1603 N. Aurora Road, Suite 111. This shop specializes in Japanese Kitakata-style ramen and also serves rice bowls. It held its grand opening on Oct. 10, according to Patch.

Shinhwa Korean Steakhouse, 2856 Patriot's Lane. A Korean barbecue restaurant that opened Oct. 1.

The Juicy Seafood, 1915 Glacier Park Ave. A Cajun-style seafood restaurant on the same quadrant's list of new businesses.

On weeknights, northwest Naperville now has a Japanese ramen shop, a Korean grill and a Cajun seafood spot that all opened this season, without a trip downtown to find parking.

Northeast: desserts, and a shop moving away from downtown

The northeast quadrant's additions lean sweet. Butter and Batch Bakery opened Aug. 4 at 2863 95th St., Suite 143, and Aloha Acai Bowls, a soft-serve açaí shop, opened in August at 1012 N. Washington St., Suite 100.

Cold Stone Creamery is coming back at 931 W. 75th St., Suite 111, after its downtown location closed in 2024. A brand that used to sit downtown chose a 75th Street address for its return.

Looking further out, MOM's Organic Market is scheduled to open a grocery store at 1163 E. Ogden Ave. in spring 2027.

Downtown: well-known names, two of them at one address

Downtown is still getting new restaurants, but they tend to arrive with a reputation already attached.

Bonci Pizza, 22 E. Chicago Ave. This is the first Bonci location outside Chicago or Rome, and its grand opening was Aug. 28, Patch reported. Chef Gabriele Bonci opened Pizzarium Bonci in Rome in 2003 and has three Chicago locations, in the Loop, Lakeview and Lincoln Park. The Roman-style pies use dough made with organic Italian stone-ground flour that rises for up to 72 hours. There can be as many as 15 pies at a time, and the specialty toppings change through the day. Pumpkin and speck have been on the menu, and favorites like margherita are usually available.

I Heart Gyro, 22 E. Chicago Ave., Suite 120. Bonci's new neighbor at the same address is a Mediterranean restaurant. Patch reported in late September that the owners hoped to open before the end of October. The menu includes lamb, chicken, falafel and dolma gyro wraps, plus an Iskander platter. Its own Naperville page lists house-made rose-water lemonade, which is worth asking about.

Cantina Taco Grill, 15 W. Jefferson Ave. Cantina is scheduled to open Oct. 29. Chicago Food Magazine named owner and executive chef Jose Oliver, his wife Ivonne Oliver, and Chef Francisco García as the team behind it. It plans to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. The menu includes tuna ceviche, shrimp aguachile, pork belly and bone marrow tacos, a signature picanha taco, and dishes made with handmade masa. Of all the downtown arrivals, Cantina comes closest to the Route 59 approach, with a chef-driven menu from an independent team.

Deep Purpl, 120 Water St., Suite 101. A Brazilian açaí bowl cafe on downtown's list of new arrivals. Some reports say it is open and others list it as coming soon, so check before you head over.

Quick reference by part of town

Coming in the next few weeks

Of the five items below, only one is downtown.

• Slyce of NY, South Washington Street. Owner Syed Warsi is a New York native bringing New York slices to the suburbs, according to What Now Chicago. In early October, NCTV17 described the pizzeria as finishing its build-out and expected to open soon. Earlier in the year, Patch previewed New York-style pies with chicken tikka masala, gyro, and chipotle chicken and corn toppings, plus chopped cheese sandwiches and wings.
• Tashkent Grill House, 1995 Springbrook Square Drive. Owner and chef Djasur Khusanov told Block 59 he hoped to open in October with Uzbek rice pilaf and Georgian khachapuri on the menu.
• Shibam Coffee grand opening, Nov. 15. Live Yemeni music at 1120 S. Route 59.
• A cat cafe at 1550 N. Route 59, mid-November. Owner Carol Jamil plans to open with 10 rescue cats from the Wheaton-based Animal Rescue Foundation, all available for adoption. The space will have a cafe with a book nook on one side and a glass-walled cat play area on the other, according to Naper Today.
• Nan Xiang Soup Dumplings, Block 59. It is planned for a Block 59 building that hasn't been built yet, and no opening date has been announced.

Conners summed up the season's list as "everything from ramen to Peri Peri," as NCTV17 reported. The ramen is on Aurora Road and the peri peri is on Route 59.

I keep a running list of what's opening around Naperville, and I'm always glad to compare notes on a new spot or hear which one ended up on your regular rotation. If a new opening near you has you wondering what it means for your street or your home's value, Stacey Jennings is happy to talk it through. Let's Connect.