Panda Express is scheduled to open at Crossroads of Schaumburg this morning, Friday, Oct. 2, with a celebration and ribbon cutting starting at 9:30 a.m. That date is about five and a half weeks later than the one village officials gave in mid-August, when the target was Aug. 24.
The slip says a lot about how the development at the northwest corner of Golf and Meacham roads is opening. The Village's development page gives the whole project an opening of "Fall 2026." In practice, Crossroads has been opening one tenant at a time since early summer. Each restaurant runs on its own permits, build-out and corporate calendar, and the project-wide date tells you very little about any one of them. The reliable sign that a place is about to open is the tenant's own announcement.
What's Already Serving, in the Order It Arrived
Crossroads is planned as a five-building, 7.4-acre development near Woodfield Mall, built by North American Real Estate. Site improvements that come with the project include crosswalks and sidewalks connecting it to neighboring developments, outdoor patios and lighting. So far, the open restaurants are all in a single building:
- Piccolo Buco. This Roman pizzeria is known for its tall crust. The original restaurant in Rome dates to 1916, and Cooper's Hawk founder Tim McEnery partnered with chef-owner Luca Issa to bring the concept to the U.S. A mid-June Daily Herald story listed a Monday, June 29 opening date, and by August the paper confirmed it had opened earlier in the summer.
- CAVA. The Mediterranean chain opened at 1320 E. Golf Road on July 27. Regional director Gino Carlin described the Schaumburg store as part of CAVA's growth in the Chicago area.
- Dave's Hot Chicken. Its grand opening was Friday, Aug. 14, in the same building as Piccolo Buco and CAVA, which made it the development's third operating restaurant.
- Panda Express. The ribbon cutting is scheduled for this morning. The Daily Herald announced it on Sept. 29, and this post went out before the opening could be confirmed.
That list covers a pizzeria with a century-old Roman name, a Mediterranean bowl counter, a hot chicken shop and a quick-service Chinese chain. The first three opened over about seven weeks, and the fourth needed another seven to follow. Getting four restaurants open took one summer and part of a fall, and several more spots on the site still have no firm dates.
The Dates That Moved
Panda Express is the clearest example, but not the only one. In the same mid-August update, village officials said Paris Baguette was aiming to open by the end of August. As of early October, our research found no published confirmation that the bakery cafe has opened. Paris Baguette also wasn't part of the original lineup. It took the space first announced for Naansense.
Velvet Taco shows how far apart sources can be on the same week. The Village's Aug. 14 Schaumburg Progress Report expected Velvet Taco and Panda Express to open in August. A Korean-language local outlet put Velvet Taco's target at Aug. 21. That same day, a company spokesperson told the Daily Herald that Velvet Taco hadn't set a date and wouldn't open that month. As of this writing, the chain's Schaumburg location page still says "Coming Soon!" and gives no date.
The Village's development page also lags behind the corner itself. It still lists Lazy Dog, Piccolo Buco, Cava, Velvet Taco, Panda Express and Naansense as tenants, so it shows Naansense even after Paris Baguette took that space. A page meant to track the whole project can't update every time one lease or permit changes. To find out whether a specific counter is open, check that business's own page or a local news report.
Still Waiting on Permits, Plans or a Name
The rest of the site is further behind, and its timing is less certain. Here is where each remaining space stood at its last public update:
| Space | Last reported status | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Paris Baguette | Targeting end of August; opening not yet confirmed | Aug. 14, 2026 |
| Velvet Taco | Location page reads "Coming Soon!" with no date | Early October 2026 |
| Vannie's House | Bubble tea and coffee lounge, still getting permits | Aug. 14, 2026 |
| Former Crisp & Green space | A high-end, fast-casual sandwich shop in the running; not named | Aug. 14, 2026 |
| Lazy Dog | Seeking a redesign of its previously approved freestanding building; construction not started | Aug. 14, 2026 |
Two of those rows go back to before construction began. Crisp & Green was the planned tenant when the project broke ground in April 2025, and that space is now being discussed with a sandwich concept, according to Dylan Er, an associate of North American Real Estate. Lazy Dog has been on the tenant list from the start. In mid-August, however, it was still seeking changes to a building design that had already been approved, and construction hadn't begun. Our research found no later plan commission or village board action on that redesign. Because the building hasn't been started, Lazy Dog won't be part of this fall's openings.
Not every space at Crossroads will be a restaurant. One building is set for an AT&T store relocating from nearby and for Intuit, the financial technology company behind tax preparation software.
Schaumburg's Other Projects Have Moved the Same Way
Crossroads isn't unusual in Schaumburg. Hopscotch, a British-pub-themed restaurant at 40 S. Roselle Road in Town Square, opened in May 2026 with three levels of dining, entertainment and private-event space. Before it opened, the Daily Herald called it a "long-awaited" restaurant. It was created by Dipak Lodhia, whose earlier brands include Porto's Peri Peri and Vasco's Peri Peri, with business partner Subbu Vibha Iyer.
At Veridian, the developments near Algonquin and Meacham are giving dates even further out. The Fresh Market is the first planned building in The District at Veridian. The Village listed construction as scheduled to start in summer 2026, with an opening expected in 2027. Next door at One Veridian, Buttermilk Cafe and Your 3rd Spot signed as the first commercial tenants. As of a Sept. 2 report, Buttermilk was projected for summer 2027 and Your 3rd Spot for 2028.
Back near Woodfield, one large space is still waiting for a tenant. The Crate & Barrel at Streets of Woodfield, on the southwest corner of Woodfield and Martingale roads, closed at the end of February. As of July 31, new owner Hutensky Capital Partners was marketing the 26,200-square-foot space. Retail and dining space near the mall turns over one property at a time, and each one moves on its own schedule.
Planning a Visit This Fall
For a meal at Golf and Meacham this month, the sure options are the restaurants confirmed open: Piccolo Buco, CAVA and Dave's Hot Chicken, all in one building. Panda Express joins them if today's ribbon cutting goes ahead as announced. Paris Baguette and Velvet Taco are worth checking before you go. Vannie's House, the sandwich space and Lazy Dog are later projects.
The Schaumburg Convention Center at 1551 N. Thoreau Drive also has a busy October. Pinball Expo runs Oct. 14–17, the Chicagoland Fall Coin-Op Show runs Oct. 23–24, and the Body Mind Spirit Celebration runs Oct. 24–25. Closer to home, the Schaumburg Park District's Octoberfest is tomorrow, Oct. 3, from noon to 5 p.m. at Meineke Park, 220 E. Weathersfield Way.
Openings like the ones at Golf and Meacham change daily routines in Schaumburg, and they also show up in how buyers see the area around a home. If you're wondering how this year's activity near Woodfield affects what your property is worth, Morrison Home Team can give you a clear, local read. Request Your Free Home Valuation.