ROBERT
LEBLANC What was your motivation to get into the restaurant industry? You went from Republic Club owner to restaurateur. I think it was just a natural evolution. As I evolved in my interests and tastes, our clients and customers did as well. What we wanted to do with Republic was create an environment that was universally accessible. We wanted everyone from young college kids to the older (50’s, 60’s), successful and more established crowd to feel welcomed. I felt like that could apply to restaurants as it did to Republic.
You recently got out of Republic, what made you make the decision? Republic is such a big and important thing, I think it needs to be individually owned and operated. With us growing and opening restaurants and wanting to move into other cities and states, I wanted to give Republic the best chance to stay around. Matt Alamon allows us to focus on the restaurants and expand the brand, without compromising Republic.
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