La Paz, a restaurant located at 51 South Market Street in Downtown Frederick, has closed its doors after 46 years in business as of December 8, 2024. The owners, Graham and Marcie Baker, announced the restaurant’s closing on November 30. Mr. Baker says the restaurant opened in 1978 after a skiing accident, he came to Frederick to recover and, as he says, “…it all just kind of took off.”

The restaurant has been a staple for Frederick’s community, where the owners say they know of at least 10 couples that have later married after meeting at La Paz. The Bakers say while the restaurant has been sold, they cannot disclose to whom the new “small central Maryland” restaurant will take La Paz’s place sometime in 2025. La Paz has not only done a service to its community by providing to consumers, but was also a major keystone in the development of the Carol Creek area.

Some members of the Frederick community share different sentiments about the closing of the restaurant. Some restaurant goers say that menu items are dry and flavorless, and they can’t wait for it to go. Others, such as a reviewer on Google, share, “I’ve been coming to this great restaurant [for] over 40 years…It cannot be any better.”

All in all, while the public has different thoughts on the closing of La Paz, there is no doubt it has been important to the life of many Frederick residents.