Henry's Tacos gets two-week reprieve

Call it a Christmas miracle -- Henry's Tacos in Studio City will stay open another two weeks, according to the restaurant's owner.

Owner Janis Hood said she is trying to work out a deal between her landlord and a prospective buyer of the taco stand that her grandfather opened 51 years ago at the corner of Tujunga Avenue and Moorpark Street.

"That’s my miracle, I’m going to live to see the first of the year," Hood said. "I’m very hopeful that a deal can be reached."

She said she will run the business until Jan. 10. Hood credited the overwhelming support of Henry's fans and media coverage for keeping a potential deal alive.

In recent weeks, a web campaign has popped up on Facebook and Twitter, and celebrities like Elijah Wood and "Breaking Bad's" Aaron Paul joined a legion of Henry's customers on a rainy Sunday afternoon to eat tacos and voice their support. More than 5,800 people have signed an online petition to save the restaurant, and loyal patrons have posted video testimonials online.

After the news of the two-week extension was posted on Facebook this weekend, fans were jubilant. One commented: "There is a Santa - Merry Christmas." Another wrote: "Long live the taco!"

The battle focuses in part on whether Henry's is more than a taco stand — whether it's actually a piece of history worthy of official preservation.

Henry's Tacos' possible closure is the result of year-long dispute that started when Hood applied for a historical monument designation for the stand last year. Hood said her landlord increased her rent 50% and has refused to renew her lease since last December.

Hood believes the landlord, Beverly Hills businessman Mehran Ebrahimpour, is upset because a historical designation would put land-use restrictions on the property. L.A.'s Cultural Heritage Commission unanimously approved Henry's as a historical landmark last year, but the city's Planning and Land Use Management Committee postponed a vote on it earlier this year until Hood's lease was renewed.

Hood had lined up several prospective buyers earlier this year, but they were turned down by the landlord, she said.

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-- Ben Poston

Photo: Henry's Tacos in Studio City had been scheduled to close at the end of the year but has been given a reprieve until Jan. 10. Credit: Katie Falkenberg / For The Times