CHAD UMBLE | Staff WriterThe abrupt closure two weeks ago of Frisco’s four Lancaster County locations left many dedicated fans upset over the loss of the restaurant that featured Peruvian-style chicken that is marinated and then roasted in a charcoal-fired rotisserie.
Encouraged by the flood of supportive messages they received, the owners of Frisco’s have now partially reversed course, announcing plans Thursday to reopen their original Lancaster city location soon but with no specific date set.
“I’m absolutely certain that Frisco’s can continue,” co-owner and restaurant namesake Francisco “Frisco” Gomez De La Torre told LNP | LancasterOnline. “Only a blind person could not see what we are seeing and that’s part of the reason why we have people supporting us.”
Gomez De La Torree, who owns Frisco’s with Josh Rinier, said the 454 New Holland Ave. location would reopen “very soon.” He noted that that restaurants’ brisk business after its fall 2020 opening is what prompted Frisco’s to subsequently expand with locations near Lititz and Mount Joy as well as a Willow Street restaurant that debuted in October.
Now, by regrouping at their first location, Frisco’s owners hope to revive their original recipe for success, bolstered by a newfound belief that there is still strong demand for their products.
“As days have gone by, we’ve encountered fantastic people willing to help: vendors, staff, landlords. We didn’t get anything else but support. That gave us what we needed to pursue reopening,” Gomez De La Torre said.
Frisco’s owners previously cited the restaurant’s rapid expansion beyond Lancaster city as a factor in the decision to close, which they announced July 12. Sales were slow to build at the newer locations and the company became more reliant on robust sales in Lancaster city, which began to slide over the winter, creating a financially unsustainable condition, they explained.
Gomez de la Torree said that the other three Frisco’s locations won’t be reopening, and those landlords have already begun looking for other tenants.
“We cannot consider reopening those locations,” he said.
Frisco's, which previously operated all its locations with around 35 employees, will recall at least 15 to reopen the Lancaster restaurant.
A native of Peru, Gomez De La Torre moved at the age of 30 to the United States where he worked for a variety of hotel companies. He was a manager at the downtown Lancaster Holiday Inn when he lost his job in March 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic. Switching careers, Gomez De La Torre fulfilled a lifelong dream by opening a restaurant that featured a chicken recipe from his home country.
With the planned revival of Frisco’s, the restaurant has begun selling T-shirts, hats, and mugs emblazoned with a new “Frisco’s Chicken Forever” logo.
“Every penny will help us,” Gomez De La Torre said of the new merchandise. “I’m confident that the community is going to respond. I count on that.”
