A Tale of Les' Sisters

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 When  Clara Huling, Roda Hadi, and Willie Stanford opened a small café in  Chatsworth in 1986, none of them could possibly have predicted the  bright future of their venture.  For them, it was an adventure; an  attempt to realize lifelong dreams.  Each brought to the table a special  talent.  At the time, Roda was a master Cajun chef, and ran the seafood  bar at the popular Fireside Inn in Encino.  Willie was the  owner-operator of Our Place, a very popular bar and gathering place in  Northridge.  Clara’s mother owned a restaurant in Yuma where Clara  learned the trade as a young girl.  They got together and decided to try  it, but each agreed to keep their “day jobs.”

The first  year was a trying experience, but after a few rave reviews from the  likes of Elmer Dills, the LA Times, and Valley News, they survived.   Meanwhile, due to personal setbacks and illness, Roda and Willie had to  leave the fledgling business, and Clara had to go it alone.  She briefly  turned the restaurant management over to another team, but in the end,  she had to re-assume the helm.  That’s when fate stepped in and  administered a devastating blow.  Clara succumbed suddenly to a stroke  in June 1992, and Les Sisters’ was left devastated.  That’s when Kevin,  Clara’s son, stepped up and took charge of the restaurant.  With the  support of a loyal staff (especially Susan Warner, our head server), and  loving customers, we rode out the storm and thrived . . . until the  earthquake of 1994.  We rebuilt, reopened, and regained our customer’s  support. However, the next year we were victimized by a fire, and were once again sidelined.  After a few setbacks with building codes, we were able to reopen in a scant three weeks and there were our clients waiting, clamoring to have another go at our unique menu. 

For many years, Kevin kept the restaurant at the family helm until his retirement in 2014. He then passed the baton to his daughter Jessica, who joined together with head server Susan to take over operations, until her untimely passing in 2018. 

 Les Sisters’ . . . 2021
So, here we are, celebrating our 35th anniversary by opening a long awaited second location and feeling the humility  of knowing that we could not have done it without the consistent support of you: our customers. Now, Kevin’s daughter Jessica has become the sole owner of the business. It  is hard for us to believe that we have three generations of Hulings involved in keeping our commitment to our promise to satisfy your good  taste.

Lastly, it pleases us to know that all of the  accolades that we have accumulated through these years are due to the appreciation shown by you, our valuable customers.  After all is said  and done, our being named Number 1 by Zagat and Daily News many years in a row, and having been selected as the best in class by City Search is only due to  the fact that we have made an impression upon both your tummy and taste buds, and we thank you for owning up to it.
 

  Susan  was the first waitress hired at Les Sisters back in 1986 and continued  to make her imprint here for over 30 years. In 2014, Susan and Jessica  joined forces and bought the struggling business in hopes to improve  overall quality and business reputation. After a few tweaks in recipes,  lots of elbow grease, and the determination to keep this little  restaurant going they have succeeded just that, but not without great  sacrifice. In 2015 Susan was diagnosed with cancer. For the next 2  years, Susan fought with her condition staying positive and optimistic  the entire way through. But soon enough, the cancer had spread, and the  damage was irreversible. On Feb 13, 2018 (Mardi Gras Tuesday) Susan  finally let go of this world to join her family and friends waiting for  her in the sky. It was truly an honor to have known such a caring and  beautiful person such as her.  

 More  commonly called, "Jr." There was something special about him. Whether  it was his inviting smile, his charm and confidence, or his ability to  make you laugh at the silliest things. He was a beacon of light to the  Huling and Les Sisters family, and still is now more than ever. Cancer  was responsible for his fall shortly after his birthday in August 2017.  Though he fought dearly for years trying to stay ahead of it. This  tragic loss feels like it hits harder because he was so young. But there  is calming comfort knowing that he is in great company, and he along  with a few others are watching over all of us. You will be more than  missed KJ.