In the beginning…

Jarrod and Tracy have had an affinity for Italy and all things Italian since they were newly in love and blindly bike-toured all over Italy in 2010. In their mid-twenties, biking and on a budget, they found that the best bang for their buck when it came to meal times were ‘Primi Piatti’ (first courses) at restaurants, which always included fresh-made pasta with delicious sauces. Pasta and panini (pressed sandwiches) sustained them for the month of cycling and wandering through a country where food is celebrated and also taken very seriously. Since then, they have returned to Italy on many occasions, each time gathering new ideas and recipes to bring home.

JARROD REGAN

EXECUTIVE CHEF

Jarrod has called Durango home since 1999, building a life around food, community, and hospitality. With 20 years in the culinary world and 11 years as a restaurant owner, he’s happiest when he’s in the middle of it all—cooking, creating, fixing whatever needs fixing, and making sure the people around him feel taken care of.

He loves working with fresh, seasonal ingredients and supporting local farmers and producers. His experience ranges from fast-casual to fine dining, but what really excites him is creating food that feels both special and approachable. PRIMI brings that idea to life with elevated fast-casual dining centered around one of Jarrod’s all-time favorite things to make, eat, and share: pasta!

TRACY REGAN

SOMMELIER

Tracy’s love of Italy and wine led her to spend five years guiding seasonal bike tours through Italy’s wine regions, primarily in Tuscany and Piedmont. Her passion for wine grew along the way, leading her to complete her Level I and II Sommelier certifications through the Court of Master Sommeliers, as well as the Certified Specialist of Wine certification through the Society of Wine Educators.

At PRIMI, Tracy’s goal is to make discovering wine fun, approachable, and inviting. She hand-selects interesting Italian wines for the restaurant with notes and suggested pasta & salad pairings. She also offers educational workshops, wine tastings, and Chef & Somm dinners, where food, wine, and a little bit of Italian culture come together.

A restaurant is born…

Jarrod and Tracy opened PRIMI in January 2020, just two months before the world changed with the spread of COVID-19. After hitting the ground running, they quickly pivoted to adapt to the challenges that followed. For a while, bags of fresh pasta and online wine workshops became the heart of the business, until they could welcome guests back—first outdoors, and eventually indoors with restrictions.

Staff Trips to Italy

In 2022, as life began to feel a little more normal, the Regans took their first trip back to Italy with a handful of PRIMI staff. The trip turned out to be much more than a vacation—it gave managers a deeper understanding of the philosophy behind PRIMI while giving the entire team a chance to recharge after a demanding season. They’ve now made four trips together, visiting a different region each time and returning with new ideas, recipes, wines, and inspiration to share with their guests.