Highlands has plenty of restaurants, but only one where the gyro has a following that borders on civic pride, the Reuben inspires near-poetic devotion, and the beer-burger routinely converts first-timers into believers.
That would be Don Leon’s – the Dillard Road classic where the food is hearty, the banter is lively, and someone is always laughing.
Now, the keys have officially been passed to Ivanet and Juan Avila, a couple whose road to restaurant ownership includes New York grit, Latin American roots, family responsibility, and the kind of timing that makes you think the universe occasionally nudges things along.
The Avilas spent more than two decades in New York City. Juan worked at several restaurants, including the iconic Patsy’s Italian Restaurant, mastering the fine art of hospitality – unruffled presence, quick intuition, and years of reading a dining room like a second language. Juan had the opportunity to serve celebrities including members of the Sinatra family, Michael Bublé, Tony Bennett, George Clooney, and Ben Stiller – only a sampling of the well-known faces who came through the door.
Meanwhile, Ivanet, born and trained as an attorney in Venezuela, spent her career serving New York’s Spanish-speaking community. She has the kind of professional patience that makes even the busiest kitchen look soothing.
In 2020, the family relocated to Franklin, and Juan quickly became part of Highlands’ restaurant world, working at Blue Bike, Lakeside, Highlander Mountain House, Paoletti’s, and Half-Mile Farm, while the idea of owning their own place hovered quietly in the background.
The turning point arrived when Juan heard Don might consider selling the restaurant, and Juan asked if he’d consider selling to him. Don didn’t say yes. He didn’t say no. He said, essentially: if you want it, learn to run it.
And so began three months of restaurant boot camp. Juan absorbed every detail. Don expected a gentle learning curve; instead, he found someone who picked up the full rhythm of the business with remarkable speed.
By the end of December, Don told him, “You are ready.”
For diners, the transition will feel seamless and naturally familiar.
The Mediterranean favorites – the gyro, the Reuben, the beloved beer-burger – aren’t going anywhere. But the Avilas are adding their own flavors: Venezuelan empanadas and café con leche for breakfast, Peruvian-style chicken, a proper Cuban sandwich, and dishes from Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia. Weekend dinner service is coming soon.
Inside, very little will change — “maybe nicer tablecloths,” Ivanet says with a laugh. Their children, Juan Jr., Gigi, JD, and grandson Nathaniel, all in North Carolina, may eventually join them in the business.
“We don’t want to change what people love,” she told me. “We just want to add our story to it.”
Don Leon’s is located at 462 Dillard Road in Highlands.
609-455-2886
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