Iconic restaurant, Route 66 landmark reopens its doors

Dozens came out to the grand reopening of the Launching Pad restaurant in Wilmington on Friday, a stop along the old Route 66 highway most notable for being the home of the Gemini Giant.

The celebration was the culmination of months of work by Holly Barker and Tully Garrett, the couple who came upon the restaurant in September 2017 and decided to reopen the Launching Pad.

Barker said they were relieved and elated to finally get to celebrate the restaurant's restoration, and they were realizing their vision from when they first took on the project.

"We're just slowly starting to see the fruits of our labor here," Garrett said. "And after an extensive 15-plus-month renovation on the building and getting the kitchen open and getting traffic through the building, we're starting to see the potential and see people really enjoying what's been accomplished."

Just like any other day, several took photos posing in front of the Gemini Giant to commemorate the occasion.

The Giant is a throwback to the 1960s, when the restaurant first opened as Dairy Delite. The name was changed to the Launching Pad in 1965 when the original owners brought in the spaceman, one of many “Muffler Men” fiberglass sculptures used in that decade for promotional purposes.

The couple also had a lot of help along the way, as the community, which still treasured the location even though the restaurant closed in 2010, embraced their entrepreneurial spirit.

Barker and Garrett said city officials have been nothing but helpful throughout the process. Wilmington Mayor Roy Strong told the crowd gathered at the ribbon cutting ceremony that he remembered coming to the Launching Pad as a child. He lauded the efforts of Barker and Garrett and said they were the perfect people to revive the Launching Pad.

Barker and Garrett said several community members stepped up to help. They added a new sign on the front of the building, which was donated by Friendly Signs in Kankakee. Lucas Paving in Wilmington donated materials to help them with the parking lot.

Garrett said a lot of the help was unsolicited, and many people just wanted to be a part of the rebirth.

"It's just been a really good experience all the way around," Barker said. "This is like my new family."

Since February, the Launching Pad has been rolling out its new menu of "comfort food" and is now fully operational. The couple has said they hope to be serving hot dogs and ice cream during the summer.

They've tried to add a mix of nostalgic Americana food with some modern twists. For example, Barker said they're serving the Dirt Worm Sundae, a popular menu item from the Launching Pad's past, along with gluten- and dairy-free items. They were so dedicated to the Americana theme that they took a course on how to make Chicago-style hot dogs at the Vienna Beef company.

Ultimately, the couple said they want their restaurant to pay homage to the past while continuing to bring more people from around the country, and even around the world, to the old Route 66 location and through Wilmington. They are even planning to get married and exchange their vows under the Gemini Giant this summer on the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.

"What we want to do is promote Route 66 as a whole," Barker said. "We want to promote Wilmington. We want to promote everyone."

The Launching Pad is located at 810 E. Baltimore St. (Route 66) in Wilmington. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.