Blanchard's Restaurant

	Bob and Melinda Blanchard Married for more than thirty years, Bob and Melinda are often described as lifestyle entrepreneurs. They've spent a lifetime following dreams, pursuing passions and living what they love. Bob and Mel have started nine businesses, and in addition to operating Blanchards Restaurant, they are motivational speakers and bestselling authors. They make career changes based on where they want to live and with whom they would like to work. Life is too short they say, to do only what you think you're supposed to do as opposed to doing what makes you happy. Bob is a seventh-generation Vermonter, and Melinda was born and raised in New York City.
	Lowell Hodge When Lowell began waiting tables at Blanchard’s in 1994, he was a relatively shy 21-year old with a quiet smile and yet, a clear sense of ambition. He genuinely cares about every guest and will do whatever it takes to make him or her happy. In 1997 Lowell was promoted to Restaurant Manager and not only watches over every table in the dining room, but also does a phenomenal job assisting with the overall operation of the restaurant. It’s hard to describe how much Lowell has become a part of the restaurant but let’s just say that if we could change his last name to Blanchard, nobody would be surprised.
	Miguel Leveret Miguel is an unpretentious, modest young man who radiates charm and has a remarkable talent for learning new skills. He’s studied wine with Bob for over fifteen years now and has developed a palate as good as many who have spent a lifetime tasting. Ask him which wine on the list is fat and ripe or lean and crisp, and he’ll know just what to suggest. He has traveled to France, California, and New York with the Blanchards, which has perfected his tasting skills even more. Miguel, however, is more than just a wine guru. He quietly helps Bob and Melinda behind the scenes with management decisions and they’ve come to rely on him more than they ever could have imagined. Blanchards would not be Blanchards without Miguel.
	Clinton Davis Clinton began his career at Blanchard’s 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 New York with Bob and Mel introduced Clinton to new food preparations while observing in some of the city’s finest restaurants. Today he runs the kitchen with the same eye for detail as Melinda and checks every single plate before it goes out the door.
	Huegel Hughes Hughes, as he likes to be called, is Blanchards’ grill master. At any one time he can be cooking two rare tunas, several crayfish, three orders of jerk shrimp, and three steaks all to different temperatures. Not an easy task! Hughes, Melinda and Clinton have worked side by side for so long now that they can sense each other’s every move. Even on those over-the-top busy nights, Hughes can perfectly juggle just about anything that comes his way – and always with a smile and a little laugh.
	Garrilin Nisbett Garrilin has been working at Blanchards since the very first day we opened. She worked in the kitchen for about twelve years and then decided it was time for a change. Talk about being flexible! Garrilin tossed away her chef coat and now looks absolutely beautiful as she greets our guests as they arrive. Garrilin loves people and loves to make them happy so although we miss her in the kitchen, she’s found a new home that suits her perfectly. Garrilin also loves to share her love for Anguilla so if you want to know anything about the island – where to go or what to do – just ask and you won’t be disappointed.
	Samaro “Junior” Richardson When you come to Blanchards, try to find time to strike up a conversation with Junior. He may appear quiet but once you get him going, he’s one of the most charming young men you’re likely to meet. Junior’s job at Blanchards is to carry the food from the kitchen to the dining room. If you think that sounds like an easy task, come watch him in the kitchen as he organizes 20 orders at a time, deciding which table gets served first so that everyone is taken care of on a timely basis. It never ceases to amaze us how Junior can handle the pressure of a busy night with a smile that warms our hearts.
	Delvan “Square” Hodge Square works with us in the kitchen and is the link that ties all of us together. If you stand outside the kitchen window for just a minute, you’re bound to hear Melinda, Clinton and Shak calling Square’s name. “Square, I need some more rice! Square, we need chopped garlic! Square, can you decorate a birthday plate for table 4? Square, we need five Cracked Coconuts on table 12! From start to finish, Square keeps us all going. He may be behind the scenes but without him, we’d fall apart in no time. And how Square can wear a knit hat in Anguilla all day and all night is beyond us. It’s become his trademark of sorts, and we can’t imagine him without it.
	Kishma Hodge Kishma started helping us out in the dining room part-time over the busy holiday season and it was love at first sight. We all wanted Kishma to stay and be a permanent member of the Blanchards family. Just as it was time for Kishma to leave, we were looking for a new bartender so we thought we’d give her a try. She had never tended bar before but with her enthusiasm for learning new skills, her love for meeting new people and her beautiful smile, Kishma grew to be one of the most amazing bartenders we’d ever had the pleasure to work with. She makes the best rum punch, a perfect cosmopolitan and of course, Blanchards’ signature drink – a great Banana Cabana.
	Timi Gumbs Timi glides through the dining room with more grace than anyone we know. Quiet and a little shy, his only goal is to make people as happy as possible. If the kitchen gets an order with lots of special requests, we know automatically that it probably came from Timi, only because he would have offered to make whatever adjustments were desired. We tease him about it all the time but in truth, we love the fact that he does such a fantastic job catering to every little detail.
	Alwyn Richardson Alwyn fills in the cracks wherever needed. He rushes food to the tables, carries trays of drinks from the bar, resets a table as soon as it becomes vacant and makes sure glasses are kept full in between. He’s been with Blanchard’s since the beginning and knows exactly what it takes to make things run smoothly.
	Tarah Baker Tarah is so full of energy! She greets guests with a huge smile and a big hello, sincerely wanting everyone to feel welcome. Shy on the surface, Tarah has a delightful sense of humor once you get to know her so be sure to say hello when you visit. You’ll be enchanted in just a few minutes.
	Shakeem Bradley Shak towers over all of us. It took Melinda almost a year to get used to looking up so high every time he talked. But if there was ever a teddy bear of a guy, it’s Shak Bradley. Kind, sweet and thoughtful are three words that come to mind when describing Shak’s personality. His primary responsibility is to make all of the salads and starters but he and Square work together on desserts as well. Shak carefully washes every single leaf of lettuce, making sure that his salads are absolutely perfect. He slices, dices and chops each vegetable precisely and is unbelievably vigilant when it comes to putting just the right amount of sauce or dressing on each plate he prepares.
	Konnie Richardson Konnie is truly a character and thankfully, he keeps us laughing and singing in the kitchen as he washes the dishes all night long. “Why aren’t you singing?” he’ll ask Melinda. Then he’ll start belting out the chorus of one of his favorite songs and insist that everyone joins in. His favorite expression is, “What a party!” which he loves to say when we’re all exhausted after a busy night. In reality, Konnie can make work a party any time.
	Claudette Davis Thank goodness for Claudette. She is about the hardest working dishwasher imaginable. It’s a hot, tiring job but Claudette never seems to mind. And when things get slow, she’ll clean and polish everything in sight.