Two more Plaza del Lago shops making move to downtown Wilmette

The crosstown migration continues for Wilmette businesses.

Plaza del Lago’s La Colonna and Giggles & Giraffes — both owned by Denise Helms — are on the move to Wilmette’s Village Center, said Helms in an email to The Record.

The clothing shops will share the storefront at 1193 Green Bay Road, the former and longtime home of Scandia Catering, which closed in 2019 after 60 years serving Wilmette.

La Colonna is a women’s boutique that opened in 1968 as the first tenant in a newly renovated and rebranded shopping center called Plaza del Lago, which before that time was known as Spanish Court, at 1515 Sheridan Road. Giggles & Giraffes offers children’s toys and clothing.

The two businesses are joining Chantilly Lace and Hanig’s Footwear as former Plaza del Lago tenants that moved down 10th Street and into downtown Wilmette.

The business departures come amid new ownership and planned changes for Plaza del Lago. Officials from WS Development, the firm that owns Plaza del Lago as well as Edens Plaza, did not immediately return a request for comment.

Occupancy in downtown Wilmette, also known as Village Center, has seen a recent surge. On top of the four Plaza del Lago transfers, the district will also soon welcome Bleachers Sports, Music and Framing (1100 Central Ave.), Ni’s Kitchen (708 12th St.), Orvis (1199 Wilmette Ave.) and EvaDean’s bakery and cafe (1115-1117 Wilmette Ave.).

Within the past three years, Central Station Coffee and Tea and Pit & Tap barbecue have also joined the district, while Share, The Noodle Italian restaurant, and Schultz and Odhner’s dry cleaners have departed.

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