Plaza del Lago Got Hermès. Its Old Shops Went to Wilmette Avenue.

Three longtime Plaza del Lago shops now sit within a few doors of each other on downtown Wilmette Avenue. Chantilly Lace is at 1177 Wilmette Ave., Hanig's Footwear at 1181 and Yellow Bird at 1199. All three left the Sheridan Road shopping center after WS Development bought it in 2022. The plaza they left now has Hermès, Diptyque, Thom Browne and Oscar de la Renta.

The plaza's errand core stayed where it was. Several of its independent shops moved downtown. A new restaurant took over a building that had already housed two local businesses. And the village's own sales-tax numbers explain why the landlord bet the way it did.

The downtown stretch that took in the plaza's old shops

The moves began well before most of the new names opened. The Record North Shore reported in March 2023 that Chantilly Lace and Hanig's had leased spaces in the 1100 block of Wilmette Avenue, between Central Avenue and Green Bay Road. Chantilly Lace owner Larisa Olson said she wanted a larger space that reflected the shop's growth and didn't like the options available as the plaza changed. Co-owner Peter Hanig said it was simply time for a change, adding that the plaza's planned improvements made it a good moment to move.

Yellow Bird came next, to 1199 Wilmette Ave. Owner Cindy Manhoff told The Record in March 2024 that the move kept the store in the community that had supported it. She also said the smaller, rectangular downtown space would be easier to manage than the plaza shop.

Denise Helms combined Giggles & Giraffes and La Colonna into a single downtown storefront, according to The Record. Clucker's took a different route. Owner Deb Merdinger told The Record the family couldn't find a suitable replacement space in Wilmette and hoped customers would make the trip to the Highwood restaurant. Rosati's closure and the relocations above were all tracked in The Record's coverage, and its September 2025 report noted that Char Crews closed entirely.

Downtown Wilmette picked up the stationery, children's clothing, lingerie and shoe shopping that used to sit beside the lake.

What stayed on Sheridan Road

The plaza's grocery and pharmacy side never left. The center's Q3 2026 directory still lists these tenants:

• Jewel and CVS, the errand anchors
• Convito Cafe & Market and Burhop's Seafood, for prepared food and fish
• Starbucks
• Big City Optical, StretchLab and Philip Cook Dentist

The Record named Jewel-Osco, Starbucks, Convito and Burhop's as plaza stalwarts when WS bought the property in 2022. By June 2025 it confirmed that Jewel-Osco, CVS, Convito and Burhop's were all still there. The tenants that bring the most regular weekly trips are the ones that stayed through the turnover.

Convito had already moved once inside the plaza. Its earlier home, a stand-alone one-story building in the northwest corner, later held John Plunkett Interiors. After Plunkett left for Winnetka, that building became the plaza's new restaurant.

What WS Development put in the vacated space

The plaza's Spanish-style storefronts date to its 1927 build-out as Spanish Court. The center sat in unincorporated territory known as No Man's Land until Wilmette annexed it in 1942. The Record has reported that the property claims to be the second-oldest shopping center in the country. The plaza's own history page uses the safer "one of the oldest open-air shopping centers" in the United States.

WS's plan for the property included restoring the buildings, turning second-story residential space into two-story retail suites, adding a central walking path and landscaping, and programming community events. The clearest result of the two-story conversions is Hermès. Patch reported in August 2026 that the brand had opened a two-level boutique behind the preserved historic façade. WS Development president Samantha David told Patch that Hermès was "our first new retail partner within the reinvigorated Plaza del Lago" and that the plaza "was at one time the heart of the community and it is our commitment to return it to that noble calling."

Diptyque followed on Sept. 24. The Record reported that it is the Paris fragrance house's second Chicagoland store, open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

The plaza's online directory, which links a Q3 2026 PDF, marks these tenants "Now Open": Diptyque, DÔEN, Hermès, Johnnie-O, Lola + The Boys, Marfa Stance, Nerine, Oscar de la Renta, Peter Millar, Pilatesville, Studs, The Henry and Thom Browne. Nerine is a florist founded by Chicago artists Liz Topp and Sinéad Cleary. Zimmermann is the only tenant still marked "Coming Soon," and the plaza hasn't published an opening date. The directory also lists Jenni Kayne, rag & bone, SPACE 519, LoveShackFancy, Veronica Beard, James Perse, Hill House Home, Lilly Pulitzer and JustFoodForDogs.

The Henry took over the plaza's old Convito building

The Henry opened June 3. It runs from morning coffee to a late bar in the same building where Convito once served the plaza. Fox Restaurant Concepts, which operates The Henry in Arizona, California, Florida, Tennessee and Texas, presented the Wilmette plans to the village's Appearance Review Commission in 2025. The Record covered those meetings. The plans called for a 6,540-square-foot space seating roughly 150 to 175 people inside, outside and at the bar, with new outdoor patios and valet parking during busy hours.

The team originally hoped to open in May 2026, so the June debut came a few weeks late. Hours now run 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, with weekday breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m. and weekend brunch from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Record's opening coverage named short-rib potstickers, a Harvest Bowl and the Egg Sandwich among the menu items.

A restaurant open from breakfast to late evening keeps people at the plaza for hours, well beyond a quick errand stop.

The sales-tax report explains the bet

The village's July finance report shows why a landlord would trade local boutiques for national brands. Finance Director Melinda Molloy told the Village Board that Wilmette typically collects about $102,000 in general and home-rule sales tax from Plaza del Lago businesses over six months. From October 2025 through March 2026, it collected $254,000, a 149% increase, as The Record reported. Over a full year, that pace would exceed $300,000.

Those figures don't include The Henry or the plaza's other recent openings, because Illinois sends sales tax back to municipalities on a delay. Across the whole village, general and home-rule sales tax brought in $4.73 million in the same report. That's up 16% from 2025 and 11% above budget. The plaza's surge is part of that number, and so are the downtown storefronts on Wilmette Avenue where several former plaza tenants now ring up sales.

Three dates on the plaza calendar this fall

The plaza's events page lists a Thom Browne customization event Oct. 16 to 18. The second annual Halloween at the Plaza follows on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 3 to 5 p.m., with treats from participating businesses, music, pumpkins and photo setups. Later in the season, Jenni Kayne is offering free embroidery from Nov. 21 through Dec. 9, noon to 3 p.m. The calendar doesn't list a broader holiday event yet.

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This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.