(COLORADO SPRINGS) — When it comes to a classic in Colorado Springs, grandma’s secret dough recipe has left its mark on a whole lot of people. At P74: The Downtown Panino’s there is family tradition both in the menu and in the owners.
Christina Frasca took over the business from her father Mike Frasca in 2017. By her side is her husband Bobby Lashwood who learned the secret to the dough and keeps this popular item alive on the menu.
“I think the majority of it is maintaining the integrity that Grandma started the business in 1974 and trying to take care of the community,” Lashwood said. “Be involved as much as we possibly can with support and help in any way we can, whether it’s feeding people or helping people in need.”
Besides the panino sandwich, there are a wide variety of Italian cuisine which customers can choose from.
On this snowy Thursday afternoon, when the clock hit lunchtime, this downtown gem was filled both with new and returning customers. The general manager, April Knapp, along with other employees, greeted customers and served up delicious homemade Italian classics.
“We have so many regulars that you just become a part of their lives and they become a part of your life,” Knapp said. “There’s something really special when somebody remembers your birthday or goes on a vacation, and they bring you back something because you just, you touch their lives and they touch yours.”
A delicious chicken parmesan freshly baked to perfection for one customer’s lunch.
While the chicken parmesan and salmon look tempting, the real crowd pleaser is the Panino sandwich; with a wide variety to order from, there really is a bite for everyone to enjoy.
“We roll it out flat, put all the toppings on it, run it through the pizza oven, finish it with cold toppings and sauces, cut it in half, and you eat it like a sandwich,” said Frasca.
Adorning the walls are pictures of the Colorado College Tigers hockey team ,honoring Christina Frasca’s grandfather, Tony Frasca, who played for them. Tony and his wife Evey along with Ma and Pa Sertich purchased Pizza Plus in 1974.
“My grandparents bought it,” Christina Frasca said. “It was a little pizza shop and my grandma worked really hard on the recipe. We used to just do pizzas, paninos kind of came quickly after that.”
A picture of the Colorado College hockey teams hangs on the wall which features Tony Frasca.
This is no ordinary sandwich, with the panino described by Knapp as: Nnot like anything you’ve ever had. You have this idea of what you think it’s going to be because of the way that it looks. But there’s something about the light fluffiness of the dough, but then it’s so sturdy in the craziest way.”
While there have been bumps in the road of running this local joint, it all comes down to the customers who are committed to the Frasca family recipe and their dishes.
“We have such long-term customers that a lot of people do find out about us, and once they do, they love it,” Christina Frasca said. “So, it’s important to support local because that’s the only way that we’ll still be here. It’s hard work to come to work every day and not have a corporate backing and just take care of people. We love it.”
This is not the only Panino’s location, there is another in Colorado Springs on 8th Street and another located up north in Fort Collins that are all run by third-generation family member owners.
The panino sandwich which is a crowd pleaser with a wide variety of options to choose from.
The owners of P74: The Downtown Panino’s say in the upcoming year they will have a big block party in June to celebrate turning fifty years old.
Their lips are sealed when it comes to that dough recipe, though, and they shared it doesn’t stop people from asking about it. Lashwood laughed about the frequency of this request and said, “Tons and tons and tons of times. But we just smile and keep making our recipes every day and we’re good to go.”
Christina Frasca builds a grinder panino sandwich in the kitchen on Thursday afternoon.
Childhood memories remain in Christina Frasca’s heart of growing up in this business, but now her heart is brimming with fulfillment in keeping the family’s business and the panino sandwich alive.
“It’s a dream come true for sure,” said Christina Frasca.
For Lashwood, he sees her dream come true each day and joins in on this lasting legacy.
“My wife has wanted to take over this restaurant since she was a little girl and she was working in it, running around, five and six years old,” Lashwood stated. “It means a lot to me because I know how much it means to her and how happy she is to be running her family’s restaurant and being able to continue that with how hard and difficult the restaurant industry is right now.”
