BUSINESS ORIGIN
Leon's Steakhouse Saloon

Leon Simmons retired from the construction business in 1980 (at the age of 52) and decided that since he spent so much time in the local taverns that he would open his own place. He leased a building on the corner of Eastman Rd. & Hwy 80 (formerly Buddy's Lounge).

Leon stood 6'4" & weighed 200 lbs. and was known to most people to be a very caring and cavalier man who helped a lot of people in his life. He was also known by a few people to be as mean as a rattle snake tush hog (he never hired a bouncer). He was an incredible storyteller and always had folks lined up to listen to his tales. His business prospered.

It was a very small building and before long he had to move next door to a larger building and tear down the other building for parking. The building is now a mexican bakery. Leon's was at that location until moving to our present location in 1987.

BUILDING HISTORY 2112 S. EASTMAN RD.
Leon and Jerry Simmons built this building in 1978 to lease out for a warehouse space. It was just a shell building made of tilt wall concrete construction. Soon after completion a man from Deberry, Tx. leased our building to open "The Blackberry Club". At no expense to us he lavishly finished out the building (lighted dance floor, glass DJ booth, fireplace, raised and lowered sections of  built up flooring). He spent a lot of money and was out of business in less than a year, faulting on his lease and leaving us all the amenities that he had paid for. The building was leased to the Reliable Music Music Company who sub-leased the building in 1980 to "The Rainbow Connection" (A Gay Bar). We still get a few stragglers every now and then. The building burned and was destroyed in 1987. Leon renovated the building and moved his business from Hwy 80 to it's present location.

Leon was tragically killed in a pedestrian accident on Hwy 80 in front of the Little Chain Grocery July 31, 1993. I moved back from Las Vagas and have tried to fill some mighty big shoes.

Jerry Simmons