“Thriving In South Florida With Bobby Blair” is my new weekly publisher’s column, one designed to empower and inspire readers. Each week, I will be featuring members of our community who share their real stories of bravery, tenacity and a strong will to survive. Their dilemmas and hardships are ones to which we can all relate. Yet, in the end, these leaders came out on top. Combining our print edition with our strong online presence, I will be bringing the community inspirational stories in a whole new way. In addition to the print version of the column, we will also feature an Internet talk show segment through guymag.net and floridaagenda.com. You’ll be able to see episodes of the talk show “Thriving In South Florida With Bobby Blair,” exclusively through our sites. This week’s incredible success story follows Vero and Jean of Le Patio Café. I hope that you enjoy both the talk show and the feature below.
Jean and Vero have worked very hard to get where they are today. Jean was only 17 when she left Ireland to move to France to pursue her dreams. While she had a great childhood and family life, she wanted to get away from her life in Ireland and branch out a bit. She lived in Lyon, teaching English to adults via different companies over time. Vero was born in South France, so it was imminent that fate was doing its job. Vero met Jean at her first job, where Jean offered to train her and take her under her wing. After the two found that they got along well, they hit it off and have been practically attached at the hip ever since.
Just before Vero and Jean left France, they owned a Tex-Mex restaurant. They were one of the only Tex-Mex restaurants in the region, and had a successful 15 years of business before they decided to move to America. The couple moved to America after Jean’s biological daughter went off to college. They decided there was nothing left for them in Europe and that a new adventure was in order. Jean and Vero sold both of their businesses and began to take the necessary preparations to move to the US. Unfortunately, since gay marriage was not legal at the time, they were required to each invest $100,000 (as opposed to $100k split between a heterosexual couple.) Funded by money from the businesses, they packed up their belongings and set out to live the American dream.
Jean and Vero bought a restaurant on Oakland Park Blvd down by the beach, which they described as a “nightmare.” They lost virtually all of their money in the space, eventually selling it for $30,000, a mere fraction of their original investment. After selling the property and investing the money into a small space in Wilton Manors, the couple hit their stride.
Le Patio is a fine European comfort food restaurant right in the heart of Wilton Manors. Its menu is extensive and made fresh to order. Actually fresh, not fresh out of the freezer. The couple does prep work every morning in a secret, undisclosed space before bringing it to the restaurant where it is then cooked to order. The space is reminiscent of small restaurants or cafes in France and Amsterdam, with a beautiful back patio that really delivers charm and beauty without overdoing it. The entrees are reasonably priced while the portions are undeniably generous. The hearty comfort foods aim to tantalize and excite your taste buds while the space itself relaxes and cradles you, transporting you to the south of France. Back to Jean and Vero’s roots.
The couple came from across the world, lost everything and then opened a successful restaurant with a mere $10 in their bank account. Thankfully, their persistence and hard work has literally paid off in the end. The couple says that it’s crucial for small business owners to participate in their business as much as possible. Jean and Vero devote all of their time and energy to the business, which is why they’ve become such a great success story. The most important thing? “Don’t lose faith,” they say.
