Johnnie-O swinging into Plaza del Lago

Another new addition to Wilmette’s Plaza del Lago is on par to tee off this weekend.

Johnnie-O, the well-known, decades-old golf apparel brand, will this weekend celebrate the opening of its new storefront inside the storied Wilmette shopping center. The location will be the brand’s first standalone store in the Midwest.

Wilmette trustees during the Village Board’s Tuesday, July 28 meeting approved a temporary-use permit for Johnnie-O’s grand-opening event, which will take place from 6:30-8:30 p.m. this Saturday, Aug. 1.

Johnnie-O is in the storefront adjacent to the existing Starbucks, a space that used to house Stride Indoor Running Studio. Just Food for Dogs and Stretch LAB — which was previously Rosati’s Pizza and, before then, Fannie May Confections — are also neighboring storefronts.

Proposal documents submitted to Wilmette’s Appearance Review Commission earlier this year show the retail space of the store will be just over 760 square feet.

According to the brand’s website, Johnnie-O’s was founded in 2005 by John O’Donnell, a former golfer at the University of California, Los Angeles and a Chicago native. The golf apparel brand says it “lives at the crossroads of East Coast tradition and West Coast casual, building unique, high-quality classics focused on modern day comfort and performance.”

Johnnie-O carries men’s, women’s and boys collections and offers licensed apparel from the NFL, NHL, MLB and NCAA, according to information posted on Plaza del Lago’s website.

In materials submitted to the village, representatives from Johnnie-O say the brand “is getting back to our roots” with the opening of its new Wilmette store.

“Our founder, John O’Donnell, grew up a stone’s throw from our new digs and is thrilled to bring his brand to the Chicagoland area,” a promotional flyer reads.

Plaza del Lago — a historic property that asserts it is the second oldest shopping center in the country and features an open-air concept around an indoor galleria — has seen significant changes since WS Development purchased the shopping center in 2022.

While former plaza shops, such as Yellowbird Stationery and Chantilly Lace, have relocated and some have closed, WS Development has been busy for the last two years announcing incoming brands, highlighted by a 13-shop announcement in the summer of 2025.

Some of the additions are already open, including SPACE 519, rag & bone, Jenni Kayne, Thom Browne, Veronica Beard and LoveShackFancy.

In June, The Henry, a highly anticipated full-service restaurant officially opened.

Several big-name, national retailers are scheduled to open soon, including Hermès and Oscar de la Renta.

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