A reimagined version of a local favorite, the pending closure of a national hardwood flooring retailer in town and several new or soon-to-be openings are the latest changes in Naperville’s business comings and goings.
The Can holds grand opening
Saturday marked the grand opening of The Can, the tavern offshoot of the former Naperville staple, Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant. The launch of the bar-only business, located at 634 E. Ogden Ave. in a space that used to house Miss Kitty’s Saloon, has been months in the making.
When Pepe’s shut its doors at its longtime 1270 E. Chicago Ave. home after 46 years at the outset of the year, co-owners Matt Rocush, Sandy Rocush and Rod Peterson promised that while it was the end of the longstanding Mexican restaurant as patrons knew it, the closure wasn’t the end of their presence in the local community altogether. Rather, they insisted they’d be charting a new course with a reimagined business: The Can.
The tavern has been ramping up its launch since early summer, starting with a soft open in June, followed by Saturday’s grand celebration.
“It was a really, really good time,” Matt Rocush said of last weekend’s event, which featured a raffle contest, discounted drinks and a ribbon cutting ceremony.
The Can is now open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. The bar doesn’t currently have a kitchen, though there are hopes to someday build one out, Rocush said. In the meantime, customers are welcome to bring in their own food, he assured.
As The Can continues to find its footing, Rocush and his co-owners are in the process of securing some live entertainment. Meanwhile, the bar has already started offering trivia and dart tournaments weekly.
Speaking to changes he and his co-owners have had to manage and work through over the past year — going from Pepe’s to reopening as a standalone tavern — Rocush said they are “relieved this whole process is over and that we’re under a new space.”
“Overall, we’re really happy with how things have turned out so far,” he said. “A little sad about losing the restaurant and the kitchen. … But at the same time, (the tavern) is a different thing, and we have different things to offer now.”
LL Flooring to close Naperville location
LL Flooring, the hardwood flooring retailer formerly known as Lumber Liquidators, is closing its Naperville store at 2602 Aurora Ave. The local closure is one of hundreds due across the country as LL Flooring undergoes substantial changes.
In August, the retailer — which got its start in Massachusetts in 1993 — filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Less than a month later, LL Flooring announced that it would be “winding down operations” and closing all of its stores. Last week, however, the company reversed course and found a last-minute buyer, the private equity firm F9 Investments.
Under the terms of the buyout, F9 will acquire 219 stores, which will open under the Lumber Liquidators name again. Nevertheless, another 211 stores are still shutting their doors — including Naperville’s.
A store associate confirmed over the phone Monday that the Naperville LL Flooring would be soon closing. The Naperville location is also listed for pending closure on LL Flooring’s website.
The Gallery moving to Naperville
A business that buys, sells and trades high-end sneakers and streetwear is coming to Naperville later this fall.
The Gallery is moving locations from its original store in Glen Ellyn, where it has operated for the past six years, to a bigger space in downtown Naperville, according to owner Scott Lupa.
Asked where and when the new location would be opening, Lupa declined to share its address but said that the hope is to open sometime in October.
The Gallery, which has one other location in Chicago, started as “purely a hobby and a passion,” Lupa said.
“I just really liked clothes and shoes,” he said, “and over time, my collection sort of grew. I would buy, sell and trade with other people. … So I opened a store.”
Lupa described The Gallery as a “community closet,” where people can “bring their stuff they no longer want and trade it out for something else that someone else bought in to get rid of.”
The Gallery’s inventory includes shoes like Air Jordans and Yeezys and apparel from brands such as Supreme, BAPE and Hellstar.
Recent openings you might have missed
Fast casual Mediterranean restaurant chain Pita Pita has opened a Naperville location at 376 Route 59, Suite 142. Pita Pita, which has eight other locations across the Chicago area, officially opened in Naperville in late July.
Milliy Family Restaurant has opened at 1279 Rickert Dr. Operating for the past two months or so, the restaurant features Uzbek cuisine and is open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday through Tuesday. It is closed Wednesdays.
The Associated Press contributed.
