Cindy and Alan LeBlanc are longtime restaurateurs in the state. They first opened Max Lager’s Wood-Fired Grill & Brewery in downtown Atlanta in 1998 – it’s the oldest independent brewpub in the state. When they were featured on our cover, they had added White Oak Kitchen & Cocktails under their umbrella, just a block or two down Peachtree Street. Since then, they’ve opened another acclaimed brewpub, Bold Monk Brewing, over off Chattahoochee Industrial Boulevard in West Midtown.
Major takeaways from your years in the hospitality industry?
Understand and embrace the fact that we are in the hospitality business. For many restaurateurs, the focus on hospitality leads to a business model that is unsustainable, and for others, a focus on numbers leads them to lose sight of their value proposition. Those who are able to discern the right balance, make the tough decisions to achieve and maintain the spirit of this balance, and make prudent investments on a timely basis have a chance to create a lasting relationship with their guests.
How do you feel the hospitality industry has changed since 2015?
The business continues to become more complex and more expensive to operate. Competition from Uber and delivery services for employees, increasing costs of everything needed to develop and operate, more complicated labor laws and politically influenced economic uncertainty have increased the risk of success in our industry over the past 10 years.
More Restaurateurs Featured on Restaurant Informer’s Cover
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