Taste Buds Kitchen, a national cooking-studio franchise, is looking to fire up a new Naperville location near the Block 59 and Westridge Court corridor. The city's Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously on June 17 to recommend approval of a conditional use for the studio, and the request now heads to the Naperville City Council for a final decision. If the council signs off, the booking-and-event-based operation would bring classes, camps and private events to a shopping-center space along Route 59.
Where It Would Sit
As reported by the Chicago Tribune, the proposed Taste Buds Kitchen would move into a tenant space between Bundoo Khan Express Grill and the Escapology escape room at Westridge Court, 2603 Aurora Ave near Route 59. The center sits next to the Block 59 redevelopment, a growing cluster of restaurants, retailers, and public-art murals that is reshaping the Route 59 corridor and has become a local talking point. The broader Block 59 and Westridge Court build-out and placemaking push has been highlighted by NCTV17.
What The Studio Would Offer
Owner Jackie Burton told the Chicago Tribune the business would host summer camps, date-night classes, birthday parties, caregiver-and-me sessions and corporate team-building events. "It's like a painting party studio but using food and customers eat their work," Burton said, noting that the concept would feature child-friendly programming during the day and adult classes in the evening.
Licensing And The River Road Plan
City records show that earlier this year the Council amended rules for the Class M recreational liquor license, a change that made space for facilities that want to sell beer and wine as part of adult programming. Taste Buds Kitchen appears in materials tied to that effort, according to City of Naperville documents. The owner had previously pursued a River Road site but could not move forward there, and the Westridge Court proposal followed that change in plans, as noted by Patch.
What Comes Next
With the Planning and Zoning Commission's unanimous recommendation in place, the conditional-use request now advances to the City Council for consideration, although a hearing date has not yet been scheduled. If the council approves the plan, Taste Buds Kitchen would join a run of new food and entertainment concepts that officials and developers say are helping to revitalize the Route 59 corridor and the Block 59 area, a trend local media have been tracking. NCTV17
