The Warrenton Denny’s officially closed its doors on March 3, as workers removed the signage from the building and locked the doors that afternoon. 

“Well guys, after 17 years at Warrenton Denny’s… We are closed for good,” wrote former employee Jennifer Runnion on Facebook. 

Fortunately, the building will not be vacant for long, as the Casa Tequila Cantina plans to move their Warrenton location from the Shoppes at Warrenton down the street. 

“We closed (on the property) last Thursday and so hopefully by the end of this year, we can move into that space,” said Co-Owner Jessenia Lopez. 

Lopez operates the restaurant with Leo Carmona and they opened in Warrenton in 2021. Lopez said their lease at the Shoppes would be up by April of next year. 

The couple also opened a location in O’Fallon last year. 

She said they had heard the Denny’s location would be closing and since they had been looking to expand and purchase their own building, the timing worked out. 

“If this is like the long haul, and we’re gonna do this for the rest of our lives, we might as well just buy something,” said Lopez. 

She said they had already met with an architect and were working on designs and improvements to the building. 

They plan to add a covered outdoor patio on the east side of the building and will also be transporting most of their decor and seating from the old location. 

“When we moved here, there wasn’t a lot, there were just tables and booths,” said Lopez. “We had to build a bar out and we had to buy like 90% of all the restaurant equipment.”

She continued saying they would be moving most of their current seating, they would also have to purchase some additional seating, since the footprint at the former Denny’s is slightly larger than their current location. 

Lopez did hope they could change some of the decor to provide the feel of a “more modern Mexican restaurant.”

They also plan to install a full bar in the new location and will be closing off the kitchen, according to Lopez. 

She did clarify they would remain open at their current location while the lease is active and they are making improvements to the former Denny’s. 

Carmona also wanted to take time to thank the community for their continued support and wanted to make sure people knew they would continue to provide Mexican food and another dining option for residents in the area. 

There is another Denny’s in Warren County located at the interchange between Highway A and B and Interstate 70 near Pendleton which remains open.