After 25 years, the Fort Collins classic restaurant Panino’s got a citrusy rebrand and a makeover. Now known as Limonata by Panino’s, the restaurant has relocated to the unique building on 1002 S. College Ave. that was formerly occupied by The Post Chicken & Beer.

John Beck owned the Panino’s on 310 W. Prospect Road with his wife Marie Beck for 18 years before the location was torn down to develop an apartment complex. After months of uncertainty and strong considerations of closing the doors forever, the Colorado State University alums decided to carry on the legacy of the beloved Panino’s restaurant — but with a much brighter color pallet.

“What we’ve tried to do is bring a fresh take on what was and bring more of a coastal Italian-type feel to some of the cuisine. We wanted to try to be creative and create something new and also honor the past.” –John Beck, Limonata by Panino’s part owner

“My wife said, you know, we just got dealt lemons and we’re just trying to make lemonade,” John Beck said. “I just thought, ‘What’s lemonade in Italian?’ It’s ‘limonata.’ And that’s when ‘Limonata by Panino’s’ just got locked in, and it gave a lot of vision to the concept, too, which fits the space. It fits what we were trying to bring — something light, something airy.”

The yellow and green citrus theme of Limonata hardly resembles the classic Italian casual interior of the late Panino’s, but John Beck said this rebrand did not take away the heart of the restaurant.

“What we’ve tried to do is bring a fresh take on what was and bring more of a coastal Italian-type feel to some of the cuisine,” John Beck said. “We wanted to try to be creative and create something new and also honor the past.”

With a larger kitchen and front-and-center cocktail bar, Limonata has an updated menu of new items that could not be made at Panino’s. With nonalcoholic cocktails, dietary accommodations always available, fresh ingredients and a large secret menu, John Beck said the new menu allows the restaurant to expand its culinary creativity and better meet the diverse cravings of customers.

“We’ve been around so long that we might have the biggest secret menu of, like, any place ever,” John Beck said. “If we can possibly accommodate you in or accommodate or execute those items, we will do it for you.”

Shelby Williams, a front of house manager who has worked at the restaurant for nearly seven years, said the new menu has upheld expectations from old regulars and delighted new customers.

“People love nostalgia,” Williams said. “They love having, you know, that comfortable thing, and we still offer that with our paninos and our pizzas. Our lasagna has upgraded ingredients, but it’s still that same recipe. So you’re going to get some of those very familiar flavors, and our guests look forward to that.”

Williams is hardly the only employee to follow the Becks to their new location. Several members of the old staff were rehired at Limonata, in part because of the Becks’ strong leadership.

“They are the sweetest people you will ever work with,” Williams said. “They are so passionate about what they do. They understand their vision and their culture that they want to work around, and they want everyone to feel welcome. They want everyone in this community to know that they support them and want them to be here.”

The love goes both ways, though. John Beck said him and his wife could not have opened the new location without such strong support from the community that he said he is deeply grateful for.

“The first opening weekend was just all people we know, all our faithful regulars and friends, and it … was a magical weekend,” John Beck said. “It was both the faithfulness of our staff and the determination they put in to get us transitioned, and the pitching in of a community just lifting us up and moving us about a mile over.”

Even though Limonata has been settled in for several months now, the Becks are not done listening to the community and implementing changes aimed at enhancing the restaurant. Just this week, Limonata began a happy hour from 2-5 p.m. with daily specials.

“I do think the menu will continue to evolve and change as we learn our guests’ preferences and see patterns in it,” Williams said.

Williams highlighted the osso buco, a seared lamb shank that roasts in the oven all morning and is served on a bed of risotto. The house-made limoncello is another must-try item from the cocktail bar that Williams pointed out, along with The Golden Hour cocktail.

“We honor our coworkers, guests and the resources of everything we do, and we want to make everybody feel seen, valued and enjoyed,” John Beck said.