BLANCHARD'S RESTAURANT, LLC
CRESTVIEW, FLORIDA

The dramatic success of the Blanchards is due in part to the diverse backgrounds of these married business partners. Raised in New York City, Melinda grew up cooking, often creating sumptuous and original culinary delights to serve at her mother’s social gatherings. Hundreds of miles away in Peacham, Vermont, her future husband was growing up surrounded by the richness of country themes and values. While Melinda was learning how to turn out the perfect soufflé, Bob was mastering fine carpentry and developing talents in art and merchandising learned from his father who tended Peacham’s General Store. They met in college where they both studied Psychology. They married and began careers in social service. With their toddler son, Jesse, they settled in Norwich, Vermont and launched their first business venture – a retail store offering gourmet housewares and kitchen supplies. The business immediately flourished and made a profit. But after three years, the Blanchards yearned for the excitement of starting again. It became clear that they loved the challenge of creating new businesses more than the everyday operation once things were established. Together, the Blanchards have created and run ten independent businesses from the ground up. While raising their son in Vermont, they launched several successful companies in areas of personal interest including toys, ski equipment, kitchen products and a multimillion dollar line of gourmet sauces and dressings called Blanchard & Blanchard & Son. After decades of successful entrepreneurship and quiet New England living, Bob and Melinda decided to turn life upside down and inside out. They sold everything and moved to the tiny Caribbean island of Anguilla for the next step on their journey together. As lifestyle entrepreneurs, they embarked on another business venture in the form of a beautiful beachfront restaurant – the widely celebrated , documented the obstacles and rewards they encountered while moving to the Caribbean. The bestselling, inspirational travel essay motivated thousands to send letters and e-mails asking the Blanchards for advice on following their own dreams. Bob and Melinda are also authors of setting but since its inception, their staff has played an important role in making it what it is today. This group works together like no ordinary restaurant team and takes tremendous pride in making guests feel at home. Married for more than 40 years, Bob and Melinda have spent a lifetime following dreams and pursuing passions. Their love affair with Anguilla started back in 1985 and remains as strong as ever today. They’ve started 10 businesses together and although each one holds a special place in their hearts, the restaurants in Anguilla are clearly their favorites. Bob is a seventh-generation Vermonter and Melinda was born and raised in New York City. They love working together to ensure that Blanchards and the Beach Shack run smoothly. Miguel has been at Blanchards for over 20 years and has worked his way up to being the general manager. Along with Bob & Melinda, he oversees both restaurants behind the scenes as well as managing the Blanchards’ dining room during dinner. As if that’s not enough, he’s also the best wine steward we’ve ever met. He’s traveled to France, California and New York tasting wines and developing a remarkable palate. Ask him which wine is fat and ripe or lean and crisp and he’ll know just what to suggest. Miguel manages the restaurants with grace, sincerity and an unsurpassed dedication to quality and for that we are extremely grateful. Clinton began his career at Blanchards while helping to build the restaurant in 1994. He then washed dishes for a year, at which point he was promoted to prep cook and learned more of what the restaurant business was all about. His natural curiosity and love for learning new skills landed him the position of executive sous chef in 1997. Several trips to the United States with Bob & Melinda introduced Clinton to new food preparations while observing in some of the finest restaurants in the world. Today he runs the kitchen with a keen eye for detail and checks every single plate as it goes out the door. Clinton also happens to be one of the handiest people we know which is a tremendous help considering something needs fixing almost every day. We first met Tarah about 14 years ago when she would hang out at Blanchards after school. It’s as if there was a magnet drawing her to us and us to her. She helped set tables and watched the staff prepare the dining room for dinner each night. We feel like proud parents when we think of how far she has come since those early days. Tarah spent many years greeting guests at Blanchards and working in the dining room to make sure everyone was well cared for. In January, 2015, it was clear that Tarah was ready for the next step and was promoted to manage the Beach Shack counter staff. Her talent for making both staff and guests as happy as possible has surpassed our expectations and we are overjoyed to see her succeed in her management position. J started with us as a food runner in 2014 and fit into the family immediately. He quickly learned the entire menu and knew exactly what he was picking up from the kitchen. One of the things we obsess about when delivering food is to not "auction" off the plates by saying "Who gets the crayfish? or Who's having the chicken?" J always knew exactly what each guest has ordered and unobtrusively delivered their food with poise and confidence. In 2016, it was time for J to move up. He is now taking orders at Blanchards by night and is the assistant manager at the Beach Shack by day. Clearly, we are lucky to have him on board. Deon is a critical member of the Beach Shack kitchen staff family. When he first started, his responsibilities were limited to making fries and salads but it was evident after only a few months that he had potential to go much further. Now, he spends his days chopping, slicing, and dicing everything we need, and at night, he's the head cook behind the line. We all love working with Deon. He's quiet, serious about the quality of his work and will help wherever he's needed.