N. Hollywood Offices to Replace the Red Lantern

A North Hollywood restaurant that had been a favorite of San Fernando Valley residents for more than 30 years will be razed and replaced by two office buildings, a spokesman for the developer said Tuesday.

The Red Lantern Inn, at the northwest corner of Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Chandler Street, has been sold to Vantage Investment Co. of North Hollywood, said Art Ansoorian, a spokesman for the firm. Ansoorian declined to reveal the purchase price.

Vantage Investment intends to build two-story office buildings on a two-acre parcel, which includes a lot next to the restaurant, Ansoorian said. The firm has not yet submitted plans to the city, he said.

The Red Lantern Inn, with its high-backed tufted booths, dark-wood paneling and traditional cuisine, had been popular ever since Joe Capra, a nephew of movie director Frank Capra, opened it in 1956. But its present owners, John Wanner and Fred Nachtigal, decided to sell it because they are relocating, Ansoorian said.