Owners have trouble finding new location for Leon's.

Whether legendary Leon's Steak House reopens in another location is in doubt as the owners of the 50-year-old establishment say they have had trouble finding an affordable property.

Marco Medina and Javier Morelos closed the restaurant at Victory Boulevard and Vineland Avenue in North Hollywood on July 27 after they failed to reach an agreement with property owner Hanna Corp. to stay at the location. The structure will be leveled and replaced by a CVS Pharmacy.

Although they have been scouting out properties in North Hollywood for over four months, property owners were asking for exorbitant prices, anything ranging from $1.3 million to $4 million, Leon's owners said. "Everything is too high, everything is too expensive," Medina said.

Leon's, which was a coffee shop, steakhouse and big-band venue all wrapped into one, ended an era when it closed its doors. It had been a place where people could come and have a meal or a drink and listen to big-band and other dance music.

On its last day, patrons packed the darkly lit steakhouse bar, exchanging laughter and gossip, fond memories and dance partners as they listened to tunes by the A1 Rogers band.

"I love the atmosphere and the beautiful people who come here," said Mission Hills resident Esther Munguia-Villa who danced at Leon's every weekend for the last 10 years. "I made so many friends here, danced, had so much fun."

But in the background 61-year-old owner Medina stood concerned about the restaurant's future as well as his own. Leon's had been his livelihood for 34 years.

"Right now, if I go looking for a job, do you think I can get a job someplace else?" he said. "This is the only business we've got, this is the only place I've worked. I don't know anything else outside. I don't know any other kind of job--all I know is cooking."

Longtime employees

Both Medina and Morelos started out at the bottom rung of Leon's Steak House as dishwashers who could not speak a word of English. But with perseverance and years of working their way up to the roles of chef and bartender respectively, the two with some help from other associates gathered enough capital to take over Leon Grown's family-owned business in 1992.

When they first took over the declining business in the early '90s, it was supported by a small handful of regulars. But when they decided to bring in bands of all genres including big band, jazz and salsa the venue became a smashing success.

Patrons who visited the establishment on its last day were upset about the closure.

"Like we need another pharmacy," said Nina Sherwood. "I'll never go to it."

Others, such as Donald Black, who had been a regular for 37 years and often played his country and rock 'n' roll CDs at Leon's felt that landmarks like vintage steakhouses ought to be preserved, not destroyed. "That's terrible, this place should be here," said the 77-year-old Black as his eyes scanned the crowd. "I've never met so many people who can enjoy themselves and have so much fun."

Post-war product

Leon's Steak House was built in 1945 and at the time the coffeeshop and steakhouse were frequented mainly by blue collar workers from the nearby Lockheed Martin plant.

"Well it's a symbol, it's an icon of the San Fernando Valley of one of the last of the two steakhouses that was built after World War II," said Adriene Biondo, Los Angeles Conservancy Modern Committee architecture chair. "[Leon's] was a very popular place, and it allowed people to feel that there was a future after the war," said Biondo.

And right now, the future for Leon's seems bleak.

Various vintage steakhouses located in numerous Valley communities in the past have closed down, among those include Trails, Chadney's and Barbata's Steak House.

However, despite facing the trend of rising property prices and stiff competition, Morelos and Medina both remain positive in their outlook.

"It's really a hard time for restaurants," admitted Morelos, "But we're still looking. It just takes time and money."