With the final months of the year upon us, new Naperville restaurants are gearing up to open their doors or have already done so. Here a few of those new places foodies will want to check out.
Opening Tuesday
Pronto Italian Sandwiches opens Tuesday at 221 S. Washington St. in downtown Naperville. Filling the spot previously held by BD’s Mongolian Grill, it will be the chain’s fourth location, joining stores in Hinsdale, Des Plaines and at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
“We’ve been (in Hinsdale) almost two years,” co-owner Pete Burdi said. “Naperville is like a Hinsdale, just obviously like triple the size, so we thought the demographics in the downtown area would just be perfect for Pronto sandwiches.”
Their best-selling sandwich is the “Tarantino,” roasted turkey topped with aged white cheddar cheese and vegetables on schiacciata flat bread, Burdi said.
“The thing about our sandwiches is we use a bread that’s called schiacciata bread and that is a Tuscan bread we have basically learned how to make,” he said. “It’s made with all products from Italy. All the flour is flown in from Italy, and the olive oil and things like that.”
Some of their other offerings, like the “Brando,” made with capicola, hot calabrese, mortadella, salami, coppa, provolone cheese, sliced tomato, Calabrian chili aioli and mild giardiniera, come on a torpedo roll.
The business also plans to sell alcoholic drinks such as Aperol spritzes and Italian beer once they obtain a liquor license.
Sandwiches range from $11 to $17, with prices varying based on size. The Naperville location will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., per their social media.
A “coming soon” sign for The Great American Bagel’s new location at 115 E. Ogden Ave. in Naperville on Oct. 2, 2025. It will be the chain’s first location in the city. (Carolyn Stein/Naperville Sun)
Opening soon
The Great American Bagel restaurant is set to open at 115 E. Ogden Ave., near the Jewel-Osco, sometime at the end of October, according to franchise owner Michael Garber.
“Naperville is a great community. It’s a growing community and there was no Great American Bagel presence in that area,” Garber said. “When the opportunity presented it to be on Ogden, we had to jump at it.”
One of their most popular sandwiches is the Sunrise Supreme, a plain bagel filled with bacon, sausage and cheese. The store also offers paninis, salads, wraps and coffee. According to the website, a plain bagel costs $2.39 and sandwiches range from $5 to $10.
La Mom Kitchen is expecting to open Oct. 28 in downtown Naperville, according to manager Jocelyn Cao. It is taking over the space formerly occupied by Molly’s Cupcakes at 30 W. Jefferson Ave.
The restaurant will be serving authentic Chinese food, with dishes like Shanghai-style fried shrimp and chicken with chile pepper, Cao said. They also will offer bubble tea and cocktails. Prices will range from $20 to $30 per person, she said.
La Mom Kitchen at 30 W. Jefferson Ave. in Naperville on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025. The restaurant is taking over the site of the former Molly’s Cupcakes in Naperville. (Carolyn Stein/Naperville Sun)
Recently opened
Located at 2835 Showplace Drive, Yaba Sushi & Asian Cuisine is serving up sushi, noodles and a variety of other Asian dishes. The business hosted their grand opening on Wednesday.
“We offer sushi with attention to decoration,” said Qing Zhu, husband of restaurant owner Li Li. “When customer orders sushi, regardless (of) whether the order is big or small, our chef will make a beautiful plate for them.”
It is the type of presentation that will make a customer want to take out their phone and snap a photo, Zhu said.
One menu item he highlighted was the Godzilla Roll, a 10-piece, deep-fried roll with white fish, crab meat, shrimp, cream cheese and avocado with eel sauce, spicy mayo and sweet chili sauce.
Yaba Sushi & Asian Cuisine is open from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4:30 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Saturday, and noon to 9:00 p.m. Sunday.
The George, located at the corner of Chicago Avenue and Washington Street, opened to the public Thursday. The tavern took over the spot that had been occupied by Bev’s. Owners Dave Miller and Will Cullen have poured nearly a million dollars of their own money into making this restaurant come to life, they previously said.
Customers can nosh on American tavern-style foods including The George Dip sandwich, steak frites and their Badge 13 Burger, according to the Downtown Naperville Alliance website. The George representatives could not be reached for comment Friday.
cstein@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/03/naperville-restaurants-bagel-pronto-sushi-chinese-george/
