about us
Brian Leonard
Brian has worked in the hospitality industry for over 20 years, advancing from food runner to manager. Brian opened his first bar, Lost & Found, in 2014. It was one of the founding establishments in the now bustling Shaw neighborhood in Washington, DC. Lost & Found earned the esteemed "Best New Bar" title from the Washington Citypaper in its first year. In 2017, Brian went on to open Free State, a cozy, nautical themed bar next to the Capital One Arena in Chinatown, DC. Brian takes pride in creating welcoming environments for neighbors and visitors to gather, as well as a supportive space for people to work. He has a passion for craft beer and enjoys forming relationships with local brewers, many of which will be featured at Leo. Brian is a proud husband and father and is always there with a toolbox to lend a helping hand to neighbors and friends.
Hilarey Leonard
Hilarey began her professional career producing television shows for cable networks like Discovery, National Geographic and HGTV. Throughout her life, she had always enjoyed working in restaurants between jobs and while in school, so when she met Brian, they realized they shared a passion for entertaining. Hilarey helped open Lost & Found working nights and weekends while still holding a full time job, but when Free State opened, she made the leap to leave her career and help run the family business. Today she handles events, marketing and community outreach. Hilarey is a Sommelier and runs the wine programs at all their locations. She loves teaching wine classes to friends and customers and making connections in her community. She is a proud wife and mom and will definitely make you feel at home at Leo.
matthew lego
Chef Matthew Lego's deep Maryland roots are apparent in the representation of Mid-Atlantic ingredients in his dishes on the Leo menu. Despite having a non-traditional culinary background, his love of cooking is lifelong. Whether it was learning how to can in his grandmother’s kitchen, or baking dozens of Christmas cookies with his mom, he loves broadening his culinary knowledge in every way possible. Chef Matt has a passion for all things pickled and fermented, honors the heritage of Mid-Atlantic and Southern cuisines while bringing a modern perspective to his dishes. Before becoming a Chef, Matt started his career the "safe way" working in marketing in Baltimore and at a DC think tank. However, Matt’s love of food and drink soon took over, and he left his 9-to-5 to bartending at his favorite happy hour spot. His creativity and new approaches to food and drink shone through in his cocktail recipes, often using fresh ingredients from local makers. Chef Matt loves nothing more than delighting customers with dishes they’ve never tried before or twists on their familiar favorites. Even after long days' work, Matt can be found in his home kitchen testing recipes and practicing new techniques. On the plate, he hopes to highlight the hard work and unique flavors from local farms and purveyors and deepen the roots of our community.