Meet Josette Leblond of Josette Bistro in Melrose and Fairfax

Today we’d like to introduce you to Josette Leblond.

Josette Leblond, founder and President of Normandie Pate, Inc. has manufactured fine pates and sausages since her arrival in America in 1985. Today, Normandie, Inc. has expanded into manufacturing bakery goods for airlines, grocery chains, and restaurants.

Born in Normandie, France, Josette was raised with strong work ethics. After grade school, she would help her father in the charcuterie business (delicatessen). On the weekends her father would take her to their country farm where they raised and butchered their own livestock. It was here Josette butchered her first pig at age seven. This would set the stage for the “French-American” dream which would come later.

By the time Josette was fourteen she began working full time in the family business. At twenty-one Josette gave birth to a baby boy she named Anthony.

After buying the business and properties from her father in 1969 in Normandie, France; Josette decided to move to the United States and added another business of making authentic breads in Los Angeles, California.

Josette, now a successful business woman, sole her business to one of her workers and headed to America that would change her life.

It was a week-long vacation in America that Josette came to the stunning realization: “This is where I must live.”

During her visit in Los Angeles, Josette was invited to a party where she met the chef of the Queen Mary, the famed tourist attraction docked in Long Beach. He was also French and asked her to work for him for a month. She accepted his offer and was soon working in the kitchen preparing salads. It didn’t take long for the chef to ascertain her background in the charcuterie business. Now Josette was back making her fine pates and foie gras.

A distributor’s representative found out about her products and offered to be her broker. Thus began the first Normandie Pate, Inc. Along the way Josette learned English, and still delivers it today in a staccato but charming, thick-as-cream-cheese accent. Josette also began moonlighting pates in her own restaurant kitchen.

Experience paid off. Within a short time she had generated enough income to move into a 900 square-foot kitchen in Gardena, California. But then she encountered the bureaucratic rules and regulations of opening a manufacturing business. Within a year and still speaking very little English, Josette learned to deal with the demanding rules and regulations of the Health and Safety Departments; the License Bureau and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

By 1988, Josette was able to purchase a 12,000 square-foot manufacturing plant located west of downtown Los Angeles. She oversaw its renovations making sure it met USDA requirements. She still had her other business in Gardena to run. But with her new plant she could bake authentic French breads and manufacture pates, even make sandwiches and pastries. She also opened a small retail for local consumers at the front of her plant.

As owner, chef, plant manager, and salesperson, Josette managed to acquire many key accounts for her company including Disneyland Hotels, The Biltmore, Macy’s, upscale restaurants throughout Los Angeles, chains like Bristol Farms, Whole Foods and Pavilions; airline caterers and many more. She also supplies hotels like the Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, and Hyatt. Normandie employs 35 people while producing 2,000 lbs. of pate and 3,000 baguettes each day. The bakery also produces 30,000 rolls each day for catering companies that make meals for British Airways and other airlines.

As one gets to know Josette they can’t help but admire this woman for her tenacity. How she turned one idea into a multi-million dollar business in a very short time. What makes it even more amazing is that Josette rarely follows the typical American business principles. She does things her own way.

Josette has gone on to expand the Normandie parent company. She has owned and franchised Normandie Bakery and Coffee on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood, as well as one on Sunset Boulevard; a Normandie Bakery and Restaurant in Marina Del Rey, and a Normandie Country Bakery and Pate in Los Angeles.

Josette moved to Las Vegas in 2001. Like her accent, she has her own unique way of making you feel special and comfortable. Proud to be a part of Las Vegas, Josette is very active in the community. She generously donates her time, baked goods and meals to charity organizations like Chef 4 Kids and Taste of the Nation.

Josette’s energy, perseverance, experience, and love for the business have always kept her going in the right direction. She likes to say she is living the “French-American dream.”

Chef Josette is now sharing her experience and knowledge of her culinary art. She is now the host of the cooking show “La Cuisine” with Chef Josette where she shares her unique blends of herbs and spices in the art of French cooking.

Chef Josette is proud to announce that she just opened her new restaurant Josette Bistro at Melrose and Fairfax.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Yes it was smooth because I had so many people who needed a job and I had great employee. And it was easy because it’s my life. Life is what it is and what you want from it.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My all team deserves credit of course. Without them I will not be where I am. Especially Bruno Herve Commereuc, my adoptive son, my chef, who passed away January 15th 2018, he deserves so much credit he was an amazing professional.

Contact Info:

• Address: 707 N Stanley Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90046
• Website: http://chefjosettebistro.com/
• Phone: 323.655.7777
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/josettebistro/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chefjosettebistro/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/chef-josette-los-angeles-2
  

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