Popular Fort Collins, Colorado Restaurant Might Be Closing

Italian restaurants in Colorado number in the hundreds. Having said that, the possible permanent closure of one in Fort Collins, is heartbreaking, just the same.

Panino's in Fort Collins Will Lose Current Location by Summer of 2025

For a popular spot (loved not just by college students but by all locals) to have to shutdown after decades, this news comes rough. Finding that the news has been out there for weeks, it does feel like this will be the end of the business.

Panino's Fort Collins via Facebook

Various members of the Frasca family have owned-operated each Panino's that's in Colorado.

Panino's dates back to 1974 and Colorado Springs when Pizza Plus opened its first location. After a few years of having their popular panino sandwiches on the menu they changed the name of the restaurant(s) to Panino's.

There's no way of guessing how many CSU students, alone, have been into the Fort Collins Panino's along Prospect Road near College Avenue. You have to call it ironic that it's because of the CSU students that Panino's will be going away.

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It was in January of 2025 that The Coloradan had the news that, to make room for more student housing for CSU, the entire building the holds Panino's, and other businesses, will be torn down, and Panino's lease will be terminated.

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Google Street View

Hundreds of thousands of cars have driven along Prospect Road in Fort Collins and seen the Panino's sign, with the classic tomato as an apostrophe.

Here, in March of 2025, it's unclear as to what will be happening with Panino's after May 31, 2025 (when their lease ends.) Will they find another location and re-start, or will the unthinkable happen, and Panino's will fade into Fort Collins history?

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On the Fort Collins Panino's website, one of their core beliefs is about "not giving up:"

We love a great come-back story
All you have in this life is from this point forward. Your past does not determine your future. There may still be consequences from past mistakes but that doesn't have to stop you from having a vision for your future and doing what it takes to make that vision a reality. You don’t have to do it alone. We are better together.