Janet Sawyer-Gerber, founder and president of La Casita Mexican Grill, opened the original La Casita Patio Café on South Nevada Avenue on May 5, 1986 — inside a converted gas station.

Forty years later, that modest beginning has grown into a Colorado Springs institution. At the time, it was simply a small eatery with a big idea. Few would have predicted it would endure relocations, economic downturns and even a global pandemic.

The principles that guided Sawyer-Gerber then still anchor the business today: serve fresh food, treat people well and stay true to who you are.

Now, four decades on, Sawyer-Gerber and Walter Gerber, who stepped into the restaurant’s operations after their marriage, are planning a four-day Cinco de Mayo celebration to mark the milestone. A familiar figure to longtime customers, Walter has become both operator and ambassador, greeting guests by name and helping carry forward the spirit that has sustained La Casita for 40 years.

A stroll down memory lane

The early days were humble. One picnic table. A compact menu was built on a handful of recipes. A tiny patio that doubled as the dining room.

In the late 1990s, the city acquired the original property to make way for an Interstate 25 access lane. In 1997, the restaurant was relocated to a former Burger King on South Eighth Street.

“Finally, we had a building with a much larger patio,” Sawyer-Gerber said. “It felt like we could breathe.”

That move laid the groundwork for steady, measured growth. Today, La Casita is woven into the daily rhythm of Colorado Springs. Generations of customers have grown up with its freshly made salsa, generous breakfast burritos, huevos rancheros and unmistakable bright pink exterior.

At the center of it all: the fan-favorite fluffy, hot flour tortillas, right off the grill.

“The tortillas are a multi-step process,” said area manager Leo Botello. “We use specialized equipment for volume, but it still takes care and consistency. We make four batches of dough daily, about 12,000 tortillas.”

From patio café to Mexican grill

The most visible evolution came with a rebrand to La Casita Mexican Grill, reflecting a broader menu and a growing emphasis on grilled foods and lighter fare.

Sawyer-Gerber credits longtime marketing partner Bernard Sandoval with helping guide that transition.

“He pointed out we were doing Mexican-style grilling before it became a trend,” she said. “We’ve always focused on food quality. For instance, we use Braveheart Black Angus beef. We always made all our food from scratch. That has never changed.”

Forty years on

Forty years after opening in a converted gas station with a single picnic table and now spanning three locations, La Casita remains rooted in the same idea that sparked it: simple food, served fresh, in a place people return to repeatedly.

“We’ve stayed true to what we do,” Sawyer-Gerber said.

And that, perhaps more than anything, explains La Casita Mexican Grill’s staying power: one tortilla, one plate, one loyal customer at a time.

Cinco de Mayo specials

La Casita Mexican Grill is marking its 40th anniversary with a four-day Cinco de Mayo celebration, May 2–5.

Specials include:

• Buy any plate and receive a second plate at half price (no coupon required)

• Buy any taco or burrito and receive a second taco or burrito at half price (no coupon required)

• Margaritas: buy one, get a second for 99 cents (limit two BOGO offers per person; valid driver’s license required)

Locations:

• 4295 N. Nevada Ave.

• 3725 E. Woodmen Road

• 306 S. Eighth St.

Hours: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily