Stand on York Street with the Elmhurst Metra station at your back and walk one block north. Three storefronts on that block have changed or are about to change. At 116 N. York, a shop that has sold donuts, then more donuts, then candy is slated next for naan wraps and grilled kebabs. At 124 N. York, a women's clothing boutique opened in September. At 158 N. York, the space CarmieCakes leased as its first storefront in 2022 is set to become a barbecue restaurant.
Each change is its own small story. Together they show one shift on this stretch of York. Storefronts that used to sell treats are going to food you'd eat as a meal, and the new tenants mostly already run businesses somewhere else in Chicagoland. Elmhurst is their next location.
Three Addresses, Side by Side
| Address | What was there | What's there now or next | Latest reported status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 116 N. York St. | Hello Donut, then Sweet Circle Donuts & Drinks, then Candycopia | Naansense, Indian street food | Under construction as of late July, no opening date announced |
| 124 N. York St. | Retail storefront | Jayne Boutique | Open since September |
| 158–160 N. York St. | CarmieCakes and Giorgi's Game Spot | Q BBQ | Early build-out, targeting March 2027 |
116 N. York Has Had Four Tenants in a Few Years
116 N. York is the clearest example of the pattern. Patch reported on July 23 that the space "for a few years" held donut shops: Hello Donut first, then Sweet Circle Donuts & Drinks, which had closed about six months before that story ran. Then Candycopia opened there on April 9, 2026. It was the candy shop's second location after Oak Park, with more than 250 candies, Swedish pick-and-mix and a Dirty Soda Bar. By July 24, the Elmhurst Beacon described Candycopia's status at the address as unclear.
Next is Naansense, a fast-casual Indian restaurant from founders Hiran and Viral Patel, two friends who grew up in Chicago in the 1980s. Its only current location is at 178 N. Franklin St. in the Loop. That spot serves a weekday lunch crowd from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with naan wraps, rice bowls and kebab plates, plus a catering business that includes a "Tikkawala" street cart. The restaurant also runs a program called "One Feeds Two," which pays for a school meal for a child in India with every meal purchased.
Be patient on the timing. The Beacon reported that an earlier expected opening in June 2026 came and went without a new date. The latest detailed update, from What Now Chicago in late July, had the storefront under construction with no opening date. Elmhurst hours haven't been announced either.
When it opens, Naansense will be Elmhurst's third Indian restaurant, after Salkara Indian Cuisine at 691 N. York St. and Maharaj Indian Grill at 117 N. Addison Ave. The Beacon notes that both of those offer full sit-down menus, while Naansense is built around quick street-food service. For an address one block from the Metra station, that grab-and-go format matches the space's location.
158 N. York Goes From Custom Cakes to Smoked Brisket
The pattern repeats two doors from Second Street. In March 2022, What Now Chicago reported that CarmieCakes had signed its first storefront lease at 158 N. York to keep up with demand. On September 3, 2026, Patch reported that Carmie Cakes and Giorgi's Game Spot had shared the 158–160 N. York space "for a few years," and that Q BBQ was coming next. No local report says when or why CarmieCakes left, so this post won't guess.
Q BBQ is a different kind of tenant. Michael LaPidus started it in La Grange in 2009, then opened in Naperville and Oak Park. Elmhurst will be its fourth location, and the restaurant has received a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand designation. The fast-casual menu includes pulled pork, pulled chicken, brisket and turkey breast. Its popular Papa Q Platter comes with a sausage link, four wings, ribs, baked beans, mac and cheese, cole slaw and four hush puppies.
Director of operations Kellie Sipich told What Now Chicago that opening is looking like sometime in March 2027, and that the team is in the early stages of building out the space. That date is a target. The restaurant will sit at the southwest corner of West Second Street, next to Starbucks and in the same building as Bonita Bowls, close to Classic Cinemas York Theatre. A barbecue dinner before a movie at the York could be a realistic plan by spring.
124 N. York Brings in Retail That Isn't Food
Between those two food addresses, the one storefront that's already open isn't a restaurant. Jayne Boutique opened at 124 N. York in September and sells women's clothing, shoes and accessories, with brands like Free People, Kut from the Kloth and UGG. Patch called it the chain's seventh location and quoted company president Katie Cummings. Jayne has been around since 2012, with stores in Glen Ellyn, La Grange, Oak Park, Forest Park and Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Founder Craig Cohen named it after his grandmother.
Jayne fits the same pattern as Q BBQ and Naansense: an established Chicagoland business picking this block for its next store. If you know the Glen Ellyn or La Grange shops, the Elmhurst store comes from the same company. Accounts of the exact opening day vary, so "September" is the safe answer.
The Same Pattern Elsewhere on York
The block's neighbors fit too. Pronto Italian Sandwiches opened on York Street on March 9, 2026. It's the company's fourth location after Hinsdale, Des Plaines and Naperville, and it makes schiacciata bread fresh every day. Hey Elmhurst lists its address as 105 N. York in one place, while Pronto's own profile on that site puts it inside Beer on the Wall at 105 S. York, so check the address before you go. A few blocks north, Maple & Yolk opened at 254 N. York in May. It serves breakfast, brunch and lunch made from scratch, from crepes and benedicts to paninis and burgers.
Off York, two other openings follow the same pattern of operators expanding into town. Patch reported on September 3 that a Chicago chain restaurant, Parlor Pizza Bar, is coming to 447 S. Spring Road, the old Silverado Grill site. A September 9 report found it under construction under Parlor Hospitality Group, with no opening date. On Lake Street, Wok+ opened in September at 582 W. Lake St., the former Aunt Tina's Kitchen next to the Power Market. You build your own plate there, starting with white rice, egg fried rice or lo mein and adding two entrees such as orange chicken, tomato beef or kung pao chicken.
Fall Dates On and Near the Block
You can see the new storefronts in person at a few events this fall. In date order:
- Saturday, Oct. 3, 9 a.m. to noon. The Elmhurst Park District's free Family Fall Fest takes place near The Depot at Wild Meadows Trace, 511 S. York St. Food trucks include Beavers Donuts, Billy Bricks Deli Truck, Nick's Pizza Truck and Smallcakes of Elmhurst.
- Wednesday, Oct. 14, 4 p.m. Jayne's Elmhurst Chamber ribbon-cutting at 124 N. York, open to the public.
- Friday, Oct. 16, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. "Pumpkin, Pies, and Pinot," a Halloween-themed paint-and-sip at Wilder Mansion, 211 S. Prospect Ave., with wine from Tannins Wine Bar.
- Saturday, Oct. 17, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. BOO-tiful Saturday downtown, based at Elmhurst City Centre, 109 W. First St., with music, activities and merchant trick-or-treating.
- Friday, Nov. 6, 4 to 8 p.m., and Saturday, Nov. 7, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The 15th annual Holiday Market at Wilder Mansion, with more than 55 artisans and gourmet food vendors.
BOO-tiful Saturday is the one event where downtown merchants hand out treats directly. It lands about two weeks before Halloween, so the block will look a little different than it did last October. Jayne will be open, Q BBQ is targeting March 2027, and the latest report on Naansense gave no opening date.
Anna follows these storefront changes the same way she follows home sales in Elmhurst, one address at a time. If you're wondering how a downtown block like North York Street affects the street you live on or the one you're watching, Annamarie Moise is glad to talk it through. Call Anna today to start your move.
