Happy Buddha

circa 1978 - 1986

Popular Japanese Steak House,
516 Westheimer

Photos by JD Doyle, 1981, in above right you can see Happy Buddha just past the Midnite Sun
I do not know if the restaurant was gay-owned but it was certainly supportive of the community.
With that location it would have been stupid not to be.
Below, year unknown, a Westheimer Arts Festival pic from online

In 1980 they even ran a series of ads featuring prominent members of the community,
like Disco Grandma, Ray Hill (ironically picking out a bottle when he was in AA, totally false)

Ron Burnett and Greer Price

Fires in June and September 1986 marked the end

I have been told that the Buddha figure remained a couple years after the fire, so was removed 1988-89