Michaels, Nothing Bundt Cakes and Sierra coming to Crystal Lake

Plenty of new shopping options will be coming to Crystal Lake along Route 14 as soon as October.

Sierra and Burlington

Sierra and Burlington will replace the shuttered Bed Bath & Beyond at 5794 Northwest Highway. A grand opening is expected Oct. 5, Crystal Lake Economic Development Manager Heather Maieritsch said in a news release.

Sierra is a bargain retailer like TJ Maxx but for outside gear and sporting clothes. This will be the first Sierra location in the McHenry County area, Maieritsch said in the release.

Both stores will occupy the 25-acre property where the Bed Bath & Beyond store closed last year. The current Burlington will close its current location at 6120 Northwest Highway.

Nothing Bundt Cakes

Nothing Bundt Cakes will be at Bohl Farm Marketplace Shopping Center with Target and Kohl’s in the 5500 block of Northwest Highway.

Nothing Bundt Cakes is a national franchised store that specializes in bundt cakes and individual bite-size “bundtinis” in various flavors for all occasions. They have more than 500 bakery locations in more than 40 states, Maieritsch said in the release.

Operating manager Javed Aswani said he was motivated to open in Crystal Lake after seeing so many customers come from the area to the Algonquin Commons location. Aswani said he hires locally and estimates to bring more than a dozen jobs for the Crystal Lake store.

“We still like to give it that ma-and-pop feel,” he said.

The bakery frequently partners with local schools, hospitals and organizations for fundraisers as a way to give back to the community, Aswani said.

“We do a lot of this, of course as a business, to give back but to also share the love.”

The plan is for a fall opening, and Aswani hopes for mid-October, just in time for their fall flavors including pumpkin spice, Oreo dirt cake and chocolate toffee crunch.

“We just want everybody to try our cake,” he said.

Michaels and Daiso

The former BuyBuy Baby site, at 5540 Northwest Highway, will be divided into two spaces for Michaels and Daiso. The stores are expected to open by early next year, Maieritsch said in the release.

Daiso is a global discount store that sells Japanese-inspired home decor, stationery, food and beauty products. They currently have locations in California, Washington and Texas, and will be expanding into the Illinois market with Crystal Lake as its first location.

Michaels, a national arts and crafts store that offers a range of products including frames and seasonal decor. This will be Michaels third McHenry County location in addition to stores in Algonquin and McHenry.