Poll: Know How Mutt Hut Went To The Dogs?

If you've been around San Leandro any length of time you've seen the , the hot dog eatery at 1904 Washington Avenue.

But did you know that this popular lunch spot is in its second incarnation?

Current owner Jeffrey Montero said the original Mutt Hut was opened in 1949 by three brothers -- George, Ernie and Clarence ("Les") Lessa.

Mutt Hut one was located alongside the Lessa family's grocery store at at 1345 Washington Avenue, on land now given over to the downtown shopping area and parking lot.

Montero has also reinvented himself as a businessman.

From 1983 to 1993 he ran a downtown dry-cleaning shop. He said he got out of that business rather than make the costly switch to a new cleaning process mandated by state law.

A neighbor of the Lessa family, he recalled the old Mutt Hut from his youth and asked if he could revive the name and get into the hot dog business.

"Very graciously they agreed," said Montero, who opened the current shop with his wife Marci in 1994.

The shop is adorned with memorabilia from the original shop, including a bowling shirt for a team long-since disbanded.

There is also a picture of one of the Lessa brothers waving out the window of the original Mutt Hut.

Care to take our poll and guess which brother it is? Your chances are one in three. We'll update the story later with the correct answer.

If you remember the original business tell us in the comments.

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