2Johns.

To you and I, the name means – and has meant for almost 17 years – the finest in steaks, seafood, libations, and service.

But to two Johns, the name means more – the cherished chance for father and son to work together.

“I think it’s pretty much every father’s dream to work with their son,” said John Montelepre Jr., co-owner of 2Johns Steak & Seafood in Bossier City. “We’ve always gotten along so well. I’m so proud of John.”

“Big John”, as he is affectionally called by his staff and customers, is talking about “Little John”, the restaurant’s other owner, and its general manager.

“I couldn’t ask for a better partner,” John Montelepre III said. “Some people can’t get along with their family…I feel like we have a really good relationship. We’re both pretty laid back. If something goes wrong, we can handle it pretty well.”

This successful father-son business almost never came about. After a wildly successful, almost 30-year career as owner of Leon’s Barbeque – an iconic Shreveport staple with that yet-to-be duplicated sauce – Big John retired. 

“At the time, I was traveling a lot and playing cards. I was getting kind of tired of doing that.”

Meanwhile, Little John was at Louisiana Tech studying business management and entrepreneurship, thinking he had paid his family-business dues.

“(My father) had me up at Leon’s when I was seven years old, bagging turkeys during the holidays. It’s something that I always did growing up.”

After a few years of retirement, Big John started itching.

“I had always wanted to work with Little John if I had the opportunity, and I had always wanted to do fine dining.”

Meanwhile, Little John was working as a pastry chef at a local steakhouse and not totally sold on the idea of a career in the food business.

“I asked him one day, ‘Hey, what do you think about doing a restaurant?’”, Big John said. 

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah, I’m serious.”

The two began scouting locations in south Shreveport. But as big John points out, “By the time I bought my acre of land and built a restaurant, it was going to cost me a couple million (dollars), and I had a five-dollar sandwich. I couldn’t make those numbers work.”

So, Big John substituted chopped beef for prime beef.

“I said, ‘Let’s do a steakhouse.’”

Father and son lived in Shreveport, but their business compass pointed them across the river.

“When I got to looking at the landscape,” Big John said, “Shreveport had 10 fine dining, white tablecloth restaurants 18 years ago. Bossier really didn’t have anything. They had L’Italiano, a little white tablecloth Italian place. I told Little John, ‘We need to be in Bossier, son.’ He said, ‘Why?’ I said, ‘Well, we’ve got 10 restaurants in Shreveport. We’ll be the only game in Bossier.’”

Almost two decades later, 2Johns is still the only game in Bossier when it comes to a high-level culinary experience. And father has made certain son was there for every step toward success.

“Everything I’ve done, I’ve made sure Little John was right there with me, from constructing the restaurant. I always ask his opinion. I didn’t always do what he wanted, but I wanted to listen and here what he had to say.”

”He’s never left me out of anything,” Little John said. “Even if we disagree, there’s a reason for it, and we know we’re making the right decision either way we go – if it’s his idea or mine. He’s been great. He’s been the best mentor you could ask for.”

Little John has paid special attention – and been impressed – with how his father handles the restaurant’s finances.

“The margins aren’t great, especially the first few years,” Little John said. “You’ve really got to move some money and make it work until you get the clientele, and the people coming back to you.”

Little John has learned something else from his father – something you won’t find on the restaurant’s balance sheet.

“He’s the guy that when you walk in, he’s going to come shake your hand and talk to you – make sure everything is good. I’m a different personality. I’m in the back making things happen. I have learned to get out more and be more social. I know that’s big for growing your business.”

And Little John has grown as well, especially since being named the restaurant’s general manager three years after he started in the kitchen.

“For the past 14 years, he’s pretty much run the restaurant,” Big John said. “It’s been fun watching him grow up, mature, and get the respect of 45 employees. He’s got three managers underneath him…He’s real smart. Smarter than me. He’s done a real good job, and we’ve been very blessed.”

Ask any family member involved in any family business, and they will say there’s something different about working alongside your own blood. There’s a little extra sweat equity. A little extra accountability. A little extra pride.

“It’s always going to mean more,” Little John said. “It’s me and him. It’s our place, so everything matters. We’re always there. A lot of places, you never see the owner. But when you come to 2Johns, either I, or both of us, are there. Your staff and employees see that, too. They work harder for you. They know it’s not just some big corporate job with one of their friends running it.”

The two men running 2Johns are friends, but more importantly, they are family. 

2Johns. The name says it all.

This article was originally published in the June 2026 issue of Three18 Insider magazine.