Baldwin City has had issues with keeping restaurants vacated over the past year, but plans to open at least two restaurants in the upcoming month are in place.
After a 10-year hiatus, Chester’s will be returning to Baldwin City, but in a different location.
Santa Fe Market owner Frank Foye announced Tuesday that Chester’s would replace the McDonald’s location at 522 Ames St., which closed Aug. 31. The menu will include chicken from Chester’s Fried Chicken chain as well as other choices.
“I had a couple of options in the back of my mind over the past month or two,” Foye said. “One of the options, I didn’t feel like they were ready to pull the trigger and I talked to the gentlemen and he felt the same way. And then another fast-food option and major brand, but they were not anything until after the holidays and I didn’t want my building to sit that long, so I decided to put in my own restaurant.”
Foye owned Chester’s a decade ago at 309 Ames St., which currently is home to Puckett’s Bar and Grill. Foye indicated that Chester’s resided at 309 Ames St. for four to five years until he decided to open up Santa Fe Market 10 years ago.
Although the fried chicken restaurant has not been in Baldwin City in recent years, Foye believes it will have a successful second go-around.
“If the reaction (from) our local customers is an indication, there seems to be a demand for it and everyone enjoyed the product that we had before,” Foye said.
Foye hopes for Chester’s to have its first business day by the end of September if not sooner.
Senior Alan Callahan, a Baldwin City native, remembers eating at the first Chester’s restaurant before it closed in 2002 and is excited for its return to town.
“I was here first when Frank had it where Puckett’s is and it was really good chicken,” Callahan said. “You can’t doubt that. I just think it will be better than McDonald’s just because … the chicken is better.”
Joining Chester’s will be Mexican restaurant El Patron, which will replace what was formerly Wheat State Pizza at 711 8th St.
Beto Aguilar had been working on revamping the restaurant during the summer. However, involvement with the two El Mezcal locations in Lawrence, opening other Mexican restaurants in Missouri and needing to take time off for personal reasons delayed him from opening it around the time school started like he had originally planned.
El Patron will offer a menu similar to that of El Mezcal, but one difference that will make El Patron unique from El Mezcal will be a 5-10 percent student discount. Specials such as half price entrees and Tuesday and Thursday 99 cent margarita nights will also be offered.
Aguilar indicated that there have not been any major changes in the physical structure of the building.
“All I did was paint it and put the booths and tables in there,” Aguilar said. “Kitchen-wise is where I put the tile and new flooring, but it was pretty simple.”
Aguilar hopes to open the restaurant by Oct. 1.
