PACHAMAMA'S New World Cuisine, an upscale restaurant, will move into the above location at 800 N.H. Pachamama's currently is at 2161 Quail Creek Drive, near Alvamar Golf Course.

Lawrence residents who bemoaned the demise of PrairieFire: An American Bistro in 2001 and The BleuJacket in 2002 won’t have to wait much longer for the return of fine-dining to downtown.

As soon as late summer or early fall, Ken Baker, proprietor and executive chef of Pachamama’s New World Cuisine in southwest Lawrence, will move his upscale restaurant operation into the former home of Midwest Graphics, 800 N.H.

In January, Baker paid $1.3 million for the 13,000-square-foot building, located along what is fast becoming high-profile real estate a block east of Massachusetts Street.

The new building is nearly twice the size of his current restaurant at 2161 Quail Creek Drive, which overlooks Alvamar Golf Course, and will be reserved for receptions, other special events and Baker’s expanding catering operations. He plans to add a gazebo out back.

Catering already accounts for about a third of restaurant sales, a figure Baker intends to “bump up” considerably with the restaurant relocation.

He now employs 35-40 people, and he hopes to add more by separating the restaurant and catering operations.

Baker estimated he will spend up to $650,000 turning the former home of a screen-printing business into an attractive restaurant.

KEN BAKER, owner and head chef of Pachamama's, is moving his restaurant to a more visible location in downtown Lawrence.

Why the move?

The lure of bustling downtown sidewalks, a vibrant nightlife scene and the $9 million Hobbs Taylor Lofts going up nearby proved too appealing to pass up.

“We’ve got the tower going up next door, there’s tons of investors coming in down there to build up that area, and location wise – the downtown visibility – solves my biggest problem,” Baker said.

He described his current location as “in the boondocks, behind a strip mall” northwest of Clinton Parkway and Kasold Drive.

“I’m tired of fighting it. I’m not going to fight it anymore,” he said.

By moving downtown, Baker will take his “new market American cuisine” to an area where other upscale restaurants failed within two years of their opening:

• The BleuJacket closed in 2002 after offering French-American cuisine at 811 N.H., in the renovated Kansas Seed House across the street from the former Midwest Graphics building. The restaurant was replaced with The Meat Market, a bar and grill that closed late last year.
• PrairieFire: An American Bistro, 724 Mass., closed soon after the 9-11 terrorist attacks in 2001 and was replaced by Thai House, which continues to operate.

Why will Baker be able to succeed where other downtown fine-dining restaurants failed?

“I think it’s because we have the drive and the love, (and) the product we’re putting out. We know what we’re doing. This isn’t just me; my crew’s all behind this 100 percent as well,” Baker said.

“There’s enough people involved with it, here and outside the restaurant, that want to make it happen. Good things will come.”