Two new businesses are opening on the east side of the stretch of Sherman Avenue between Church and Clark streets.
A new Taco Bell will be at the former Blaze Pizza space at 1739 Sherman Ave. And Campus Gear quietly opened its Basement expansion at 1717-23 Sherman Ave., directly across the street from its store at 1722 Sherman Ave. When the RoundTable visited the Basement earlier this week, it was still something of a work in progress, with employees busy stocking shelves, but the store was open to the public.
Blaze Pizza opened its Evanston location in 2015 and closed this August. The sign on the door directs customers to the Rogers Park location across the street from the Loyola University campus.
The new Taco Bell
This will be something of a homecoming for Taco Bell. It used to have a location next door to the Blaze Pizza site at 1743 Sherman Ave. As the RoundTable previously reported, that space will become the new home of Olive Mediterranean Grill.
Evanston doesn’t exactly have a shortage of tacos and other Mexican fast food staples, nor is it a stranger to chains specializing in that type of fare. Downtown alone has Taco Diablo, Mas Salud kitchen and bar and Big Wig Tacos‘ only suburban location and Zentli is located a little farther south.
Campus Gear expansion
Campus Gear, which specializes in Northwestern paraphernalia, was founded in 1992 by Iranian immigrant David Haghnaji. Over the past three decades, the store went through ups and downs, at one point operating three locations.
Now the store is expanding again. The RoundTable spoke with Haghnaji as he and his employees were putting together shelves. While he said the reason behind the expansion was a “long story,” the short version is they were simply running out of room.
“It just wasn’t working for us, in terms of space,” Haghnaji said. “We decided that we wanted to present the Northwestern community with everything they need. We just didn’t have enough space.”
The Basement has a wide first floor and a sizable basement. Haghnaji said it was something of a homecoming for him – this was Campus Gear’s original location.
The current main space is filled floor to ceiling with gear and passages are fairly narrow. Across the street, the Basement is mostly done, but much of the first floor is still boxes and half-built shelves.
Haghnaji said customers are welcome to browse in the basement, and staff is available to assist them.
The Basement is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.
Campus Gear grows, new Taco Bell coming to downtown Evanston is from Evanston RoundTable, Evanston's most trusted source for unbiased, in-depth journalism.