Both the former Denny’s locations in Springfield have been given new life, while the building at 2599 W. Wabash Ave. will be refurbished into a Pasta House restaurant, the building at 2905 Adlai Stevenson Drive in Springfield will soon be the site of a Rainstorm Car Wash.

Tim Hooker, owner Rainstorm Car Wash, opened his first Springfield location at 3101 Hedley Drive and his second at 321 Cranmer Drive. Hooker has now started production on his third car wash, on the site of the former Denny’s.

Hooker bought the property in early 2017 and demolished the Denny’s building in the beginning of June. Hooker’s timeframe for the project is 75 to 90 days, but says that weather will play a big factor in the completion of the project, affecting if it is finished sooner rather than later. In addition, Hooker is currently building two other car washes in Lexington, Kentucky.

“We are building three right now, and two more by the end of the year. Next year, we plan for five to 20 new locations,” Hooker said.

While not all of those new locations will be in central Illinois, Hooker is on the lookout for a property in northeast Springfield to become his fourth Rainstorm location.