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Business & Tech

Leo's Celebrates 70th Anniversary

"Where mountain men and debutantes meet!"

It’s not every day that a business in Garden City reaches the 70th anniversary mark but this past weekend Leo's Restaurant and Bar did just that.

The band Jahstix played great music on Friday night, the Locals rocked the place on Saturday night and singer Brian McGeough performed on Sunday.

Co-owners James and Phil Falk are celebrating their own anniversary too. It’s been 40 years since they bought Leo’s, now a Long Island landmark, from previous owner Leo Landis.

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Suzie Behm Walrich (GCHS ’64) went to school with Landis’ daughter, Athene. “Leo’s is the most important institution in Garden City," she said at Friday's festivities. "It has lasted longer than any store on the block. Leo’s is a tradition that honors the community.”

Meg Dooley agreed: “Leo’s is the cornerstone of Garden City.”

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On Saturday night Don Young enthusiastically announced, “Jack is my favorite bartender!”

The family-friendly restaurant and bar “is the town hang-out,” according to James Falk (GCHS ’62). “With my 45th reunion we took over Leo’s with 100 people. We had a three-man band and closed off the dining room. We also had tents outside.”

Almost all Garden City High School reunion weekends start and end at Leo’s. Friday nights are for the casual and unofficial get-together. After the formal Saturday night reunion dinner, all return to Leo’s at midnight for more drinks and camaraderie.

Phil Falk (GCHS ’67), one of seven children, said that more 100 extended Falk family members have worked at Leo’s in the last 40 years, and three generations. “We’ve had all the nieces, nephews, spouses and siblings. It’s nepotism at its finest! Of course, they all tell me how to run it too,” he laughed.

A regular customer remarked that it’s a rite of passage for all Garden City teens to work at Leo’s.

Manager Al Stevenson has worked at Leo's for nearly 12 years. "[The Falks] treated me like a son. I used to be a customer … and when they opened up their restaurant in Manhasset they asked me to become manager,” he said.

Customers have run the gamut over the years from college students to the famous. Phil Falk said, “We’ve had Islanders players, football players, Belmont horse trainers, airline flight crews, actresses, the Newsday night shift when they were on Stewart Avenue” and more. He added, “I knew Ed Lowe for 40 years. There are some stories he wrote mentioning Leo’s that are [framed] on our walls.”

According to Corey Kilgannon of the New York Times, Lowe was known as the “Barroom Bard.”

Lowe had said years ago, “I got two stories, maybe three a year, out of Leo’s,” as he sat drinking his Guinness.

Another fixture over the years was Frank Feldman, a neighbor of the Falks’ parents, the caricaturist. He would sit down and draw customers who came into Leo’s. A corner of the bar, aptly called “Uncle Frank’s Corner,” honors him. His work can be seen on the walls.

In bar lexicon, Leo’s invites everyone to come any time for beer and “bar chum” (pretzels and chips). The bartenders will be “behind the stick” (working the beer taps) and be especially happy to meet with the “talent” (good looking customers), but just don’t leave any “shrapnel” (tips consisting of loose change). All bartenders are friendly and not “on scholarship” (bartender who spends most of his shift chatting up the “talent,” forcing a partner to do all the work).  “Campers” (barfly who camps out in a bar the whole evening) are always welcome!

Note: This Thursday night, Aug. 25, at 7 p.m. the No Request Band will play at Leo’s to complete the one-week celebration. All are invited.

Visit www.LeosGardenCity.com or call 516-742-0574 for more information about Leo's.

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