Diversifying his business portfolio, former local car wash owner Jay Montpetit just paid $5.2 million for the building being leased by Duffy’s Sports Grill at 627 Cape Coral Parkway in Cape Coral.

Duffy’s will continue to operate there as usual, Montpetit said. “We’re essentially going to be the landlord,” he said. “It’s a great spot. Duffy’s has been a great business there. They’ve got 34 locations, and I’ve been told that’s within their top three or four locations.”

Last year, Montpetit sold all five of his Downtowner car washes to the national chain Mister Car Wash, plus two vacant lots intended to become car washes. The son of a Minnesota car wash owner, Montpetit, 71, had built his own brand of car washes upon moving part-time to Cape Coral more than 20 years ago.

“We bought our first car wash in 2006 on Del Prado,” Montpetit said. “We expanded the car washes from there. We became full-time residents in 2016. I just never wanted to play that game of the six months and a day. I wanted to be down here full-time.”

Montpetit had been in the car wash business since 1982.  In 2016, he sold his last Minnesota location, one that had 160 employees.

Now that he’s no longer in the car wash business, Montpetit still wants to invest in his home community. “I’m a big Cape Coral supporter,” he said. “I just always have been.”

One of those things does not seem to be retirement. “I like to move around,” Montpetit said. “This keeps me running around.”