On North Broadway in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood, two storefronts sit four addresses apart. Fat Miilk serves Vietnamese coffee at 5018 N. Broadway, and Ba Le sells banh mi at 5014 N. Broadway. Both are coming to the same parking lot on North Aurora Road in Naperville. So is a tea shop from Chinatown's Archer Avenue and Illinois' first 99 Ranch Market.
The old Riverbrook Shopping Center, at North Aurora Road and Raymond Drive, is being put together largely from businesses that north Naperville residents used to drive into the city for. Two of them are open now. The rest are on a calendar that has already slipped once, and most current estimates point to 2027.
A former Dominick's with a new owner and three names
Riverbrook's address was 1523 N. Aurora Road, and Dominick's anchored it until late 2013, when the grocer began liquidating the store as it closed its remaining Chicago-area locations. NewQuest Asia-Pacific Retail, based in Houston, later bought the 19.8-acre, 140,892-square-foot property. In January 2024, NCTV17 reported that the plan was a renovation and an Asian-focused retail and restaurant concept, with a grand opening set for summer 2025. In that same report, NewQuest pointed to the nearby Metra line and Naperville's population as reasons for choosing the site.
The summer 2025 opening didn't happen on that schedule, and the center still doesn't have one settled name. NCTV17 said in October that it will be renamed Asia Market. The Daily Herald called it NPV City Market in July, and NewQuest's own leasing materials now call it Asia MKT at Naperville. Most people still call it Riverbrook, and they'll probably keep doing so until the signs change.
Who's already open
TESO Life came first. The 18,016-square-foot Japanese lifestyle and fashion store at 1555 N. Aurora Road, Suite 113, opened in July. Naper Today called it the first tenant at the new plaza. When it opened, a TESO Group marketing manager told NCTV17 the company saw the store as "a cultural hub."
Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai opened on October 10 at 1603 N. Aurora Road, Suite 111, according to NCTV17's roundup of new businesses. The chain already runs suburban restaurants in Glenview, Hoffman Estates and Lombard. The brand's site describes Kitakata-style ramen as hand-shaped wavy noodles in a light but rich pork broth topped with chashu. The featured bowls are Kitakata Ramen, Chashu Ramen, Spicy Miso Ramen and Green Chili Shio Ramen. You can order from the Naperville store on the brand's ordering page.
That makes one store and one restaurant open, on a site with room for many more.
The pull is in where these brands come from
The tenant list stands out less for the cuisine than for how few of these brands have a store anywhere near Naperville. Monica Conners, president of the Naperville Development Partnership, put it this way to NCTV17 in October: "We are getting a look at brands that are really not looking [at] very many other places in Illinois."
Here's where each announced tenant operates today and where its Naperville plans stand as of mid-October 2026.
| Tenant | What it is | Where it operates now | Naperville status |
|---|---|---|---|
| TESO Life | Japanese lifestyle and fashion store | Open in Naperville | Opened July 2026 |
| Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai | Kitakata-style ramen | Glenview, Hoffman Estates, Lombard | Opened Oct. 10, 2026 |
| 99 Ranch Market | Asian supermarket, 40,000 sq ft | No Illinois store yet | Expected by early 2027 |
| Fat Miilk Coffee | Vietnamese coffee built on Robusta beans | 5018 N. Broadway, Uptown Chicago | Expected by early 2027 |
| Tokyo Shokudo | Casual Japanese, sushi to udon | Not stated in announcements | Expected by early 2027 |
| Ba Le Sandwiches | Banh mi, noodle soups, Vietnamese iced coffee | 5014 N. Broadway, Chicago, and Schaumburg | Listed as "Coming 2027" |
| CHICHA San Chen | Taiwanese tea made with a teapresso machine | 2150A S. Archer Ave., Chinatown | No date announced |
Fat Miilk has an extra claim to recognition: NCTV17 noted that its chef appeared on Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars. Ba Le's locations page already lists Naperville at 1523 N. Aurora Road, the old Riverbrook address. On its website, CHICHA San Chen features drinks including a Dong Ding Oolong Tea Latte and Bubble Milk Tea.
Put the list together and the center offers what used to take three separate trips: a grocery run, banh mi and a coffee from Uptown, and a tea from Chinatown. All of it would sit off North Aurora Road, close to the Metra line NewQuest pointed to when it announced the project.
The grocery that defines the project keeps moving
99 Ranch Market is the tenant most likely to change north Naperville's weekly errands, and it has also moved the most on the calendar. The Naperville Development Partnership's January 2026 update said openings would begin this year, with several aiming for the third quarter. A spring report quoted NewQuest saying many tenants would likely open in the third quarter and "definitely in 2026."
By July, the Daily Herald reported that 99 Ranch's first Illinois store was now expected in 2027. NCTV17's October 7 update put 99 Ranch, Fat Miilk and Tokyo Shokudo at "by early 2027."
Here is how the promised dates have moved:
- January 2024: grand opening announced for summer 2025
- January 2026: openings to begin in 2026, several aimed at the third quarter
- July 2026: TESO Life opens, and 99 Ranch moves to 2027
- October 2026: Kitakata opens, and three tenants are expected by early 2027
The lineup has changed too. Gen Korean BBQ, a grill-at-your-table chain, was part of the January announcement but wasn't on the October list, and nobody has said publicly whether it's still coming. CHICHA San Chen, which wasn't named in January, now is. Until the doors open, every date on this list is an estimate.
The rest of the northwest side is filling in too
Riverbrook isn't the only new spot in this part of town. NCTV17's October 13 roundup listed several other recent openings and arrivals in Naperville's northwest quadrant.
- Shinhwa Korean Steakhouse opened October 1 at 2856 Patriot's Lane, so Korean barbecue is available nearby whatever happens with Gen.
- The Juicy Seafood, a Cajun-style seafood restaurant, is coming to 1915 Glacier Park Ave.
- Cat Purrfection, a cat café, is listed at 1550 N. Route 59, Unit 178. A syndicated Pantagraph report calls it Cafe Purrfection, so check the sign before you go.
Farther south on Route 59, L.L.Bean opened its 16,000-square-foot store at 336 S. Route 59 on September 25, as Block 59 reported, which shows that retailers outside downtown are making bets of their own this fall.
For this fall, that adds up to a new ramen bowl on North Aurora Road, Korean barbecue on Patriot's Lane, and a TESO Life that has been open since July. The Vietnamese coffee and the 40,000-square-foot grocery are expected by early 2027, and Ba Le's banh mi is listed for sometime in 2027.
I'm Jessica, and I follow storefronts like these because they shape how a neighborhood lives day to day, and that matters as much as any listing detail. If you live near North Aurora Road and want to talk about what the new plaza could mean for your home, or how to present your home once these doors open, Jessica Halkias would be glad to help. Schedule a complimentary home consultation.
