At 5 PM on Sunday, July 12 the iconic French Quarter restaurant at the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Laurel in West Hollywood, California closed its doors after serving the greater LGBT community since it opened 1974. Word went round that it was going to close, but that rumor circulated several times over the years. This time it was true as many saddened regulars found out.

The restaurant opened as the Louisiana Purchase and changed its name a few years later. It was in a central location for Hollywood's gay community. The restaurant was considered to be Ground Zero for many in the GLBT community.

The French Quarter had small shops circling the dining area on two floors. From 1990 through 1977, The Leather Journal had offices that were on the second floor.

The West Hollywood Mail and Message service brought as many as 100 customers to the restaurant on a daily basis and served at the mail-drop for Frontiers Newsmagazine's classified ads drop box since 1984.

While open to everyone, a great number of Leatherfolk dined there on a regular basis.

Restaurant owners made it known to the shop owners and French Quarter staff that the restaurant would be closing almost a year in advance. Meanwhile, no new leases were signed. As s a result, the place became more barren while shops closed or moved and as months passed until the day it closed.

Even in the months before closing, the loyal French Quarter staff stayed. One waiter, Ron, worked there 28 years and restaurant manager Freddie was there about 20 years - this is significant because the turn over in the restaurant business is very frequent.

The French French quarter had just as loyal of a customer base. The restaurant prepared most of its food including excellent daily soups and muffins which diners loved loved. Some diners had been eating there since it opened.

Owners applied for and had approved a liquor license and it is believed that after major remodeling that the restaurant will re-open. It is not known to the public if the New Orleans theme will be kept, what style of cuisine will be bill of fare and who the target demographic will be. It is estimated that it will take at least a year for the project to be completed.