Many businesses have called it quits during that past year, but the next few weeks will see the opening of two new storefronts on Michigan Avenue: one old favorite and one highly anticipated newcomer.

Landmark enterprise Garrett Popcorn had to close down their old Mag Mile shop to make way for construction on the still unfinished Ritz-Carlton Residences. On October 15th, they'll open shop on E. Ontario, just east of the Coach boutique off Michigan Avenue. This location was formerly home to the China Palace resturant; considering Garrett's reputation, lines for popcorn promise to be considerably longer than those for Dim Sum ever were.

The other newcomer to N. Michigan Ave. is Zara, a Spanish clothing megastore that feels like an upscale version of H&M. An absolute staple all across Europe, Zara is considerably rarer in the States and is likely to be a hot spot for tourists and shoppers from all over the globe. The Chicago store is finally opening on October 30th (according to signs on the windows), at the corner of Michigan and Huron in the mysterious Chicago Place building that also houses Saks, a food court, and pretty much nothing else.

I snapped a few pictures with my spycam, aka iPhone. Enjoy!

Garrett Popcorn - final stages

2 Workers put the "R" in "Zara"