As summer arrives in Naperville, the season is bringing more than just warm weather. Several new businesses have recently opened or are preparing to debut in the coming months.
Here’s a look at some of them.
Vuori
California-based clothing company Vuori opened Friday in downtown Naperville, the latest athleisure brand to join the downtown retail landscape.
Replacing the Eddie Bauer store at 110 W. Jefferson Ave., the company’s opening follows a slew of similar stores that now call downtown home, including activewear line FP Movement, Lululemon, Regenerate Boutique, Aerie & Offline by Aerie, ALO, Athleta, Nike Naperville and Top Fashion.
Vuori, which means mountain in Finnish, carries apparel for men and women. The company also has Illinois locations in Chicago, Skokie and Oak Brook and an outlet store in Rosemont.
The brand was launched in 2015 when founder Joe Kudla said he noticed a lack of athleisure clothing options for men. Since then, it has skyrocketed in popularity and was valued at $5.5 billion at the end of 2024, according to published news reports. There are more than 100 locations globally, including stores in China, England and South Korea.
Belmont American Steakhouse
The Belmont American Steakhouse opened this week at 35 S. Washington St., taking over the spot formerly occupied by Catch 35. It is the latest venture from the Empire Restaurant Group, which owns Fiammé, Empire Burgers + Brew and The George.
Owner Will Cullen said The Belmont is a “classic American steakhouse” that harkens back to the “peak martini culture” of the 1960s.
“The Belmont is named after an era where people would take their time eating and enjoy food, and people cared about the products they were putting out. … We’re not trying to reinvent the steakhouse, we’re trying to just perfect the experience,” he said.
One of their signature drinks is the 1963 Martini, with a nod to icons like Frank Sinatra, who were often seen with the classic cocktail. Their version includes Navy Strength Gin and onion brine and is served with sour cream and onion chips on the side.
Other unique menu items include caviar served with chips or chicken nuggets, a 42-ounce tomahawk steak and Parker House rolls accompanied by a beef tallow butter candle.
“The candle is going to melt and as it melts, you use that roll to scoop up the butter with the seasoning that’s on the plate. It’s kind of a fun thing” Cullen said.
Prices range from $20 to $190. Hours are 4 p.m. to “whatever we are feeling to close … could be 10, could be 11, could be midnight,” he said.
Reservations can be made starting Sunday evening. Go to belmontsteak.com for more information.
SEE Eyewear
SEE Eyewear will be moving into the space at 214 S. Main St., formerly home to the Benefit Cosmetics store. The business expects to open in September, co-founder Randal Golden confirmed in an email to the Naperville Sun.
Randal and his brother, Richard, started SEE in Michigan in 1998. The company is a third-generation family-owned business that operates nearly 40 stores nationwide. Naperville will be the fifth SEE location in the Chicago area, joining three stores in Chicago and one in Skokie.
“What makes SEE different is that we design and sell our own exclusive collection of eyewear. Our frames are available only at SEE and are intentionally produced in limited quantities — typically just two colorways per style per store,” Golden said, noting that the company releases new frames every month.
In addition to prescription glasses and sunglasses, the Naperville location will offer comprehensive eye exams and contact lens services. Glasses range from $199 to $499 and sunglasses are about $149, according to the company website.
Escapology
Escape room franchise Escapology is set to open at the end of next week near the Block 59 development, franchise owner Samuel Stockton said.
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The Naperville location at 2603 Aurora Ave. is the fourth in Illinois, with others operating in Orland Park, Glenview and Downers Grove. There are dozens of Escapology franchises across the country and outside the U.S.
“We have an actual Scooby Doo-themed room,” Stockton said. “We also have a Batman-themed room. Unlike a lot of other escape rooms … instead of “Bat Dude,” we actually have Batman.”
The business will start with six rooms featuring themes like a haunted house, murder mansion, pirate’s cruise and jungle explorer. The goal is to eventually have 12 rooms over the next year, Stockton said.
“I just wanted to have a place where people could come and enjoy themselves and have a little bit of time to get away and kind of get off their phones and spend time with their families,” he said. “My son is my general manager. We did a lot of escape rooms as a family and we enjoyed them tremendously.”
The rooms are considered appropriate for all ages. On weekdays, they cost $34. On weekends, they are $39.
Hours of operation are 4 to 9:30 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, 2:30 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, 2:30 to 10:30 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday. Reservations can be made at escapology.com/en/naperville-il.