Popular celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis will open two restaurants in the Chicago suburbs, according to a press release, with the first set to open as early as this year.
Popular celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis will open two restaurants in the Chicago suburbs, according to a press release, with the first set to open as early as this year.
De Laurentiis, known for hosting several popular Food Network shows throughout recent years like Giada at Home and Giada Entertains, will open Sorellina by Giada at the future Hollywood Casino in Joliet, and Sorella by Giada at the future Hollywood Casino Aurora, the release said. The Joliet spot is expected to open as early as the fourth quarter of 2025, the release said, pending approvals.
According to officials, Sorella by Giada, set to open in the first half of 2026, comes alongside APEX, a development for a massive new entertainment district in Aurora.
De Laurentiis will open the restaurants in conjunction with PENN Entertainment, the release added. They will be the chef's first restaurants in the Chicago area market.
“I am thrilled to partner with PENN Entertainment to bring fresh restaurant concepts to their exciting new Chicagoland properties,” De Laurentiis said in the release. "Both focus on using high-quality Italian ingredients to create a truly unforgettable culinary experience.”
De Laurentiis went on to say that both restaurants will be of the same family, but with different aesthetics.
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"Joliet’s Sorellina, meaning ‘little sister’ in Italian, will be light, young and casual," she said. "Aurora’s Sorella, meaning ‘sister’ in Italian, is more formal and refined.
Each restuarant will also hold approximately 170 seats for dining, including private rooms, a bar and a comprehensive wine selection. In Aurora, outdoor seating will be available, the release said.
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Other celebrity chefs with restaurants in the suburbs include Gordon Ramsey's Ramsey's Kitchen in Naperville, and Fabio Viviani's LAGO in Lake Zurich and Giostra at The Arboretum in South Barrington.
De Laurentiis currently owns and operates restaurants in Las Vegas and Scottsdale, the release said, and is an accomplished cookbook author, with 11 titles including her most recent release "Super Italian: More Than 110 Indulgent Recipes Using Italy’s Healthiest Foods."
