Thanks in part to Warrick & Boyn, LeAnn Alvarado—owner of The Hub on Huntington in Syracuse—is building her business, working with friends and family, and living her dream
For LeAnn Alvarado, owning a small business is about much more than having a place to work. It’s about building something with the people she loves, creating opportunities for her family, friends, and employees, and turning a dream into something real.
A Goshen resident and the owner of The Hub on Huntington in Syracuse, LeAnn is a reminder that small businesses throughout Michiana represent far more than brick and mortar, a menu of items, or a website. They represent the hopes, histories, and life stories of the people who build them.
“Everyone dreams of doing something they love, and I get to live that dream out every day,” LeAnn says. “I thank the Lord that I have so many wonderful people behind me. It’s an incredible feeling to feel so supported in this.”
A Family Dream Takes Shape
A Goshen native and Goshen High School graduate, LeAnn spent 17 years at the Lux Café in Goshen, gaining experience as both a server and manager. She and her husband, Chino Alvarado, have been married for 25 years and have two children, Giovanni, 21, and Iliana, 20. Both now work at The Hub.
The idea of purchasing the business began with LeAnn’s father, Greg Bernheisel, who regularly visited what was then Huntington Street Bar and Grill.
“I remember one morning we were all having breakfast and Dad was going on and on about how the Bar and Grill on Huntington Street in Syracuse was for sale,” LeAnn recalls. “Later, my husband Chino said to me, ‘You know he wants you to buy that place, right?’”
Her father helped finance the purchase, and in October 2025, LeAnn took the plunge.
The next five months were a family affair. While LeAnn and Chino continued working their full-time jobs, they toiled off-hours to renovate the restaurant, doing almost every bit of the work themselves to get The Hub on Huntington ready for its March 15, 2026, grand opening.
Their children and their friends painted, cleaned the badly caked-up grease gutter, and moved furniture; Chino, who works at DJ Construction, brought friends and coworkers to help; Giovanni’s girlfriend Sarah was always on call to help however possible; and LeAnn’s mother, Vicki Bernheisel, handled the important task of always keeping LeAnn and Chino’s crew of helpers fed.
“Throughout those five months of nonstop renovation, Mom would call me every morning for a head count so she could get started making meals for us for the day,” LeAnn says. “We had a pretty good-sized crew most days, and Mom’s help—even behind the scenes—helped sustain everything we were doing.”
That family spirit continues at The Hub, which has since established itself as a cozy neighborhood café serving an all-day comfort food menu featuring breakfast and brunch classics, burgers, sandwiches, house-made desserts, and drinks like mimosas and craft beer.
“I love being able to work with the people I love,” LeAnn says. “It’s not always easy, and some days feelings are involved, but it’s much more rewarding than it is challenging.”
Several employees followed LeAnn from previous jobs, bringing years of experience and friendships with them. As a bilingual business owner with deep roots in the local restaurant industry, LeAnn has built a team she considers an extension of her family.
Reliable and responsive legal assistance
The Hub is off to a great start, but LeAnn is the first to admit that starting and running a small business comes with unique challenges.
“When you open a small business, you realize very quickly just how many boxes there are to check,” she says. “The licensing application process can be overwhelming, and if you don’t have every one of your ducks in a row, it can feel extremely intimidating. You can miss an important date and have to reapply and start over.”
Her advice to other entrepreneurs is simple: “Make sure you find a good legal partner right away. You will need them.”
LeAnn learned that lesson firsthand while working through the liquor licensing process for The Hub. With the grand opening approaching, she was worried she wouldn’t make the deadline. She called the state with questions and was directed to a list of recommended law firms to call. She called every local firm on the list.
Warrick & Boyn was the only firm that responded.
“I never heard from any of them except Warrick & Boyn—and in fact Rachel got back to me that very day,” LeAnn says, referring to Warrick & Boyn partner Rachel Schnetzler. “She ended up helping me and filing all the paperwork, which was absolutely huge for me.”
Just as important was the reassurance Rachel provided during an extremely stressful moment.
“I was in such a panic that day, and Rachel—who is so relaxed and easy to work with—was so calm and cool in helping take all that weight off my shoulders,” LeAnn says. “It was such a relief. Without Rachel’s help, we would not have made our opening day.”
LeAnn also appreciated that Warrick & Boyn’s services were fairly priced compared with other legal options she had explored—a particularly important consideration for a small-business owner managing the many expenses that accompany a new venture.
The greatest rewards
After nearly two decades of primarily serving and managing, LeAnn says she’s enjoying the chance to adapt and refine her focus.
“It’s nice to be able to focus more on the business end of things,” she says.
But perhaps the greatest reward isn’t the business itself. It’s everything that went into building The Hub on Huntington: a father’s encouragement, a husband’s nudging, a mother’s meals, children and their friends rallying and helping out, employees believing in their boss, and a family willing to take a chance on a dream.
And when that dream encountered obstacles, it also included a local law firm able to provide steady, reassuring guidance.
That is the story of The Hub on Huntington—and countless small businesses throughout Michiana.
Behind every storefront is someone who took a chance. Behind every grand opening is a network of people who helped make it possible. And behind many of those businesses are legal hurdles that can feel overwhelming without support from a skilled team like the attorneys at Warrick & Boyn.
“I’m thankful to be living my dream, and that I’ve had so much support behind my every move,” says LeAnn. “It feels rewarding beyond words to be a business owner after all these years, and I thank my family and my friends, and also Rachel and the team at Warrick and Boyn for the part they’ve played in my story.”
At Warrick & Boyn, we’re proud to work alongside local entrepreneurs like LeAnn as they turn their dreams into businesses that become part of the fabric of our communities. If you are a small business owner in need of legal assistance, or if you have questions, contact us or call us today at (574) 294-7491 and find out how we can help YOU!