Out with one, in with another.
Naperville is saying goodbye to Houlihan’s, a fast casual chain that has long operated in town, but is meanwhile welcoming a pair of new outlet stores — Wayfair and In Stock Furniture — to its lineup of brick-and-mortar businesses.
Houlihan’s closes
Amid less business and rising costs, Houlihan’s has closed its Naperville Crossings location at 2860 Showplace Drive, a company representative said.
“We are deeply saddened to announce Houlihan’s in Naperville closed its doors at the end of business on Wednesday, Sept. 25,” Houlihan’s chief operating officer Bill Leibengood said in a statement. “With a reduction in traffic to the area and rising operation costs since the pandemic, we simply have not been able to bounce back to normal.”
Leibengood said Houlihan’s is “grateful for the support of our community over the past 16 years.” It is working to relocate employees to “other concepts nearby,” he said.
With its closure in Naperville, Houlihan’s only remaining Illinois location is in Champaign. Established in 1972, the restaurant chain — which serves a mix of American fare — today operates nearly 30 locations across 14 states throughout the Midwest to eastern U.S.
Houlihan’s used to have a location in Chicago but shuttered the Upper Wacker Drive spot in 2018.
As a chain, Houlihan’s has undergone changes in recent years. In late 2019, the company’s assets were sold to rival Landry’s after facing bankruptcy.
Wayfair outlet opening
Wayfair’s Naperville outlet is opening this week. After the online furniture retailer announced plans for the store earlier this summer, the incoming outlet is officially opening its doors Thursday, a company spokesperson confirmed.
Located at 324 S. Route 59 in the Westridge Court strip mall, the store will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, the spokesperson said. It will be Wayfair’s only outlet in Illinois and fifth in the United States.
The 23,000-square-foot outlet will sell returns from online purchases and discounted items in good condition across a large number of product categories.
Customers will be able to browse the outlet inventory online, but products will only be available for purchase in-store. Naperville’s inventory is coming soon, the spokesperson said.
Wayfair’s plans for a Naperville outlet mark the company’s second physical push into Illinois this year. In May, the retailer launched its inaugural large-format store in Wilmette.
In Stock Furniture now open
Alongside Wayfair, another furniture outlet — In Stock Furniture — has opened at 336 Route 59, according to a grand opening alert on the store’s social media pages.
The store is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.
