A new Jamba location is set to open in downtown Evanston this fall at 1732 Sherman Ave.
“They’ve applied for a food establishment license, and that indicates they’re reopening,” said Paul Zalmezak, the city’s economic development manager.
The new location will be next to the Starbucks on Sherman Avenue.
A spokesperson for Focus Brands, which owns and operates Jamba, confirmed the tentative opening via email Monday. The Atlanta-based company also oversees such other national brands as Cinnabon and Auntie Anne’s.
The city received a license application for the new location March 16, according to the latest city manager’s weekly report.
Jamba had a previous shop in Evanston at the Chandler’s building, 630 Davis St., which closed in December 2015, according to city records.
The opening of the former Jamba Juice location is not reflected in the city database, which dates to 2009.
After changing ownership and going private in 2018, Jamba rebranded a year later, dropping “Juice” from its name.
The new location is expected to bring more foot traffic to downtown, Zalmezak said.
“That stretch of Sherman Avenue tends to be attractive to national chains,” he said, citing the proximity to Northwestern University and the perception of Evanston as a stable place for business.
Also coming to downtown in the next few months is CM Chicken, a national Korean fried chicken chain.
“They’ve applied for a license, and they’re moving forward with construction,” Zalmezak said.
And Mensch’s, a Jewish deli from Evanston restaurateur Jack DeMar, will open as a pop-up at Picnic, 1619 Chicago Ave., starting Saturday. A brick-and-mortar location is planned for next year.