Josette's Bistro
4983 W. Flamingo Rd.
Las Vegas, Nevada 89103
(702) 227-4575 www.josettesbistro.com
Born and raised in Normandie, France, Josette LeBlond has been a successful business woman since she was 17. At that time, she bought her father’s charcuterie (delicatessen). Within a year she expanded her business to include a bakery.
A turning point in her life came four years later when a week-long vacation to America turned into a French-American dream. She sold her charcuterie and boulangerie business in France and settled in Los Angeles. She began her American journey working for a French chef on the Queen Mary. Soon Josette was making her fine pates and foie gras just as she had in France.
A distributor’s representative found out about her products and offered to be her broker. Thus began the first Normandie Pate, Inc. In her off-time, Josette was busy making pates in her own restaurant kitchen. Within a short time she had generated enough income to move into a 900 square-foot kitchen.
In 1988, Josette purchased a 12,000 square-foot manufacturing plant. In her new plant she could bake authentic French breads and manufacture pates, as well as 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 accounts 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.
Hoping to retire, Josette moved to Las Vegas in 2001. But she continued running her bakeries in Los Angeles while opening new ones in Las Vegas - Normandie Bakery, Normandie Deli, and Josette’s Bistro.
Deepening her expansion, Chef Josette recently brought her life experiences with her own cooking show now airing on the Food Channel. 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.”
