{"id":1074,"date":"2017-09-29T09:00:09","date_gmt":"2017-09-29T13:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=1074"},"modified":"2017-10-11T10:54:12","modified_gmt":"2017-10-11T14:54:12","slug":"prontofresh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=1074","title":{"rendered":"Prontofresh"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fast and Fresh Food\u00a0<\/em><\/h1>\n

By Samantha McCormick | Photography by Steven J. Pallone<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Francesc and Luciana Mari \u2014 the dynamic duo behind downtown Syracuse\u2019s Prontofresh \u2014 are the perfect culinary couple.<\/p>\n

The husband and wife team use local produce to craft panini, salads, wraps, sandwiches and more, and proudly serve coffee from their downtown business neighbor, Recess Coffee.<\/p>\n

Francesc, a chef classically trained in Barcelona, Spain, had spent years working long hours, including evenings, weekends and holidays, Luciana said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to combine his expertise and passion for food with my willingness to get in the game,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The two met at Keen\u2019s Steakhouse in midtown Manhattan. Luciana worked in the front of the house, and Francesc in the kitchen. After years of working together, they\u2019ve mastered what they call the \u201cdance of a lunch rush.\u201d Luciana was particularly inspired to find a healthy work-life balance, something oftentimes missing in the restaurant industry.<\/p>\n

Their main goal was to open an establishment that would afford them the privilege of making it home for dinner every night. They started looking for the perfect restaurant in the perfect location, and, in 2014, hit the jackpot when they bought the small eatery, Prontofresh, from Bull & Bear owner, Mark Bullis. Not only does the restaurant attract a fair amount of walk-in traffic from downtown locals and newcomers alike, but it also offers catering and delivery.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe love interacting with our customers,\u201d Luciana said. \u201cWe have a great group of regulars, and it\u2019s nice to get to know the people that we share our community with. It certainly makes the day more fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Try the harvest salad \u2014 complete with mixed greens, apples, craisins, crumbled bleu cheese, walnuts and sunflower seeds \u2014 paired with one of the restaurant\u2019s daily soups.<\/p>\n

With Prontofresh open for breakfast and lunch, it\u2019s the perfect fit for the Mari family. Of course, learning to draw that life-work line is part of the balancing act, as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s harder to turn off work when you\u2019re home,\u201d Luciana explained. \u201cWe try to steer clear of restaurant talk during family time.\u201d<\/p>\n

When the day is done and the panini presses are unplugged, the couple goes home to their No. 1 priority \u2014 their family.<\/p>\n

\u201cHands down, our children are our inspiration,\u201d Luciana said. \u201cThey know we both work hard to provide a life that is rich in experiences, family, friends and time with their parents. It\u2019s a struggle to balance it all, but I think we do a pretty good job.\u201d SWM <\/em><\/p>\n

Prontofresh is located at 133 E. Water St., in downtown Syracuse\u2019s Hanover Square. The restaurant is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, visit prontofreshcny.com<\/a> or facebook.com\/Prontofresh<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fast and Fresh Food\u00a0 By Samantha McCormick | Photography by Steven J. Pallone\u00a0 Francesc and Luciana Mari \u2014 the dynamic duo behind downtown Syracuse\u2019s Prontofresh \u2014 are the perfect culinary couple. The husband and wife team use local produce to craft panini, salads, wraps, sandwiches and more, and proudly serve coffee from their downtown business…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1132,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[99],"tags":[358,360,356,357,359,134,262],"class_list":["post-1074","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","tag-downtown-syracuse","tag-hanover-square","tag-october-2017","tag-prontofresh","tag-samantha-mccormick","tag-steven-j-pallone","tag-syracuse-woman-magazine"],"gutentor_comment":0,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/IMG_3905-1.jpg?fit=5569%2C3713&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2814,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=2814","url_meta":{"origin":1074,"position":0},"title":"SYRACUSE EATS: Oh My Darling!","author":"Staff","date":"February 3, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"By Larry Stansbury Photos by Steven J. 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