An Orland Park breakfast and brunch spot is expanding to Naperville.
This summer, The White Sheep will open a second location at 22 E. Chicago Ave. in Naperville’s River District. It should be up and running by July, says Dionisios Pappas, who owns the restaurant with his brother.
“We are ecstatic to be joining downtown Naperville and to be part of the community,” Pappas said.
He describes The White Sheep as a “bougie breakfast and brunch place” that caters to quality.
“Everything is made from scratch,” he said. “We roast our own coffee, we do craft cocktails.”
The original White Sheep at 14335 S. La Grange Road opened in 2019. Its name is a play on the name of a bar Pappas and his brother had operated together, The Black Sheep in Orland Hills. When they decided to open a breakfast spot, they thought naming it “The White Sheep” would serve as a nod to their nighttime venture.
Asked what inspired their expansion to Naperville, Pappas said, “We do think that the audience that would appreciate The White Sheep as part of the Naperville area.”
The new location will have 5,300 square feet, moving into the spot formerly occupied by Smokeshow BBQ, which closed in August 2023.
Alongside a slate of chef-inspired dishes, the Naperville White Sheep also will be serving up freshly baked pastries and doughnuts, courtesy of an in-house bakery located at its sister location, according to general manager Nicole Paxton.
The River District is poised for a few other updates in the coming months as well. Avocado Theory, an avocado-centric eatery that first launched in Tinley Park in 2021, is opening at 22 E. Chicago Ave. in May, according to Katie Wood, executive director of the Downtown Naperville Alliance.
In an emailed statement, Wood said, “We’re thrilled to announce the opening of two exciting new dining destinations in the heart of downtown Naperville.”
Also on tap is the reopening this summer of Rosebud, also on Chicago Avenue, which has been closed since August 2024 for renovations, Wood said.
