New Restaurants in Naperville: Minnie Bird & Bonci Pizza Coming Soon

Minnie Bird Lands in Naperville, Roman-Style Pizza on the Horizon

Naperville’s dining scene is expanding with the recent opening of Minnie Bird, a fast-casual restaurant specializing in fried chicken and “dirty sodas,” and the anticipated arrival of Bonci, a celebrated Roman-style pizzeria. The additions signal a growing appetite for diverse culinary options in the western suburb. Minnie Bird officially opened its doors last week at 1211 E. Ogden Ave, adding to its existing locations in Schaumburg and Oak Brook. Bonci, known for its unique pizza al taglio, will take over the former Effin Egg location in the River District, marking its first expansion outside of Chicago.

Minnie Bird: A Family Legacy Takes Flight

Minnie Bird distinguishes itself with a customizable menu centered around fried chicken tenders, sandwiches, and wraps. A signature offering is its “dirty sodas” – soda-based beverages enhanced with additions like boba, cream, and cold foam. Notably, each meal at Minnie Bird includes a complimentary soft serve ice cream cone. To celebrate its Naperville launch, Minnie Bird will give away free combo meals from 11 a.m. To 1 p.m. On Tuesday, March 10, while supplies last.

The restaurant’s origins are rooted in family history. It’s a partnership between restaurant group Venture Kitchen and Sean Thomas, the grandson of Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas. Stephanie Simpson, a partner with Venture Kitchen, explained that the “Minnie” in the name honors Sean Thomas’ great-great-grandmother, Minnie Sinclair, who played a significant role in raising Dave Thomas and fostering his interest in the restaurant industry. Simpson described Minnie Sinclair as “strong but warm and welcoming and maybe like a little bit of a hint of mischief,” highlighting her influence on the family’s entrepreneurial spirit. Venture Kitchen partners Franklin Buchanan and David Sloan previously founded Naf Naf Grill in Naperville, a familiarity that influenced their decision to bring Minnie Bird to the city.

The restaurant emphasizes customization, allowing diners to tailor their meals from spice levels in the fried chicken to rotating flavors of soft serve, sauces, and dirty sodas. For March, Minnie Bird is featuring shamrock mint-flavored soft serve, jalapeño ranch sauce, and St. Patrick’s Day-themed dirty sodas.

Minnie Bird is open from 11 a.m. To 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. To 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Bonci: Roman Pizza Tradition Comes to the Suburbs

Bonci, a Chicago favorite known for its pizza al taglio – a Roman-style pizza characterized by an airy crust and crispy bottom – is expanding to Naperville. The new location will be situated in the River District, taking over the space previously occupied by Effin Egg. This marks Bonci’s first venture outside of Chicago city limits. As reported by the Chicago Tribune in 2017, Bonci was founded in Rome by Gabriele Bonci, a renowned pizza maker celebrated for elevating the pizza al taglio style with innovative flavor combinations.

Malek Touhami, manager for Bonci in Chicago, described Bonci as “the Michelangelo of pizza.” While some of Bonci’s more adventurous toppings, like raw liver or oxtail ragu, remain exclusive to the Rome location, the Chicago locations have introduced unique flavors such as octopus pizza and sausage-and-blueberry. Popular options include the potato mozzarella, burrata basil, lemon ricotta, and arrabiata pizzas.

Bonci’s unique sales method involves selling pizza by weight, with pieces cut to order using scissors. Customers can request specific amounts of pizza, allowing for customized portions. The first Bonci location opened in Chicago’s West Loop in 2017, followed by additional locations in Lincoln Park and Lakeview.

Touhami explained that the decision to expand to the suburbs was driven by customer demand and the restaurant’s growing popularity, boosted in part by a feature on Netflix’s “Chef’s Table: Pizza” and participation in Chicago’s Pizza City Fest. “We wanted to branch out to the suburbs because we’ve been getting a lot of invitations from customers and recommendations that we should head out there,” Touhami said. “And we really like the Naperville area. Very busy. There’s a lot of tourists coming in and out through there, just the community overall seems like a pretty good demographic for our style of pizza.”

What to Expect: A Timeline of Expansion

October 2024: Minnie Bird opens its first restaurant in Schaumburg, Illinois.

2025: Minnie Bird expands with a second location in Oak Brook, Illinois.

February 25, 2026: News of Minnie Bird’s Naperville opening is first reported by NCTV17.

March 3, 2026: Minnie Bird officially opens in Naperville at 1211 E. Ogden Ave.

Spring 2026: Bonci is slated to open its first suburban location in Naperville’s River District.

Confirmed vs. Unclear

Confirmed: Minnie Bird is open at 1211 E. Ogden Ave. In Naperville and offers fried chicken, dirty sodas, and free soft serve. Bonci will open a location in Naperville’s River District.

Unclear: Specific opening date for Bonci in Naperville has not been announced. The exact menu offerings at the Naperville Bonci location remain to be seen. Details regarding the size and seating capacity of the new Bonci location were not provided.