Culinary Humanitarians
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Culinary Humanitarians From the 5 Regions
Sportsman’s Paradise |
|
 Don Weems, WaterFront Grill, Monroe |
Don has been the co-owner of the waterfront grill in Monroe since 1997. This former Coordinator of Alumni and School Services at the University of Louisiana Monroe brought his philanthropic spirit to the school and his community over decades of service. He has served with the Monroe Chamber of Commerce, the Red Cross of Northeast Louisiana, the Bayou DeSiard Optimist Club, United Way of Northeast Louisiana, and the Louisiana Restaurant Association. He also has been a force of nature for the University, working for the Athletic Foundation, the Alumni Foundation, and helping to instill student improvements like the Grove, a tailgating area. |
Crossroads |
|
 Ann Johnson, Lea’s Lunchroom, Alexandria |
Ann was the first female Rotarian in Lecompte and now is president of her Rotary Club. She helmed the creation of the Rotary History Museum in Lecompte as well. Lea’s has been a family business since 1928. It has no menu, and instead serves locally grown products and makes and sells more than 65,000 pies a year. In fact, the town of Lecompte was named the Pie Capital of Louisiana by the state legislature in 2001 because of Lea’s, and now there is a Pie Festival there every October. Ann also funded and built the Rapides Parish Library in Lecompte. She served on the Louisiana Restaurant Association board of Directors for 6 years. She says her favorite accomplishments are her 3 children. |
Cajun Country |
|
 Leonard Louvierre, Zea’s |
Leonard has been the general manager and Lafayette partner of Zea’s Rotisserie and Grill for the past 8 years. His Zea’s has been voted best restaurant by residents of Lafayette for the last 4 years in the Times of Acadiana poll. For the past two years, he has helped the Leukemia Society by participating in Man and Woman of the year and raising $15,000 for the organization at Zea’s. He has also been a long supporter of Boys and Girls club, and raises food and monetary donations for other Lafayette nonprofits. But Leonard’s two loves are Kairos Prison Ministry and Hospice of Acadiana. He has worked with prisoners incarcerareted for life at Angola Prison and currently is working with two patients at Hospice. |
Plantation Country |
|
 Miriam Juban, Juban’s, Baton Rouge |
Miriam’s father told her not to go into the food business, so for a while she tried her hand at Delta Air Lines as a ticket agent. It didn’t stick, and she opened Juban’s with three partners in 1983. Miriam gives her free time to charitable causes: She volunteered in the in the food ways program of open hearth cooking at Magnolia Mound Plantation for a number of years, participates in Junior League and Sunrise Rotary, is active in the Louisiana Restaurant Association, and represents the Louisiana Restaurant Association on several boards including the Baton Rouge Convention and Visitors Bureau, Louisiana Seafood Advisory Board and the Louisiana Seafood Marketing and Promotions Board. She says the best gift from God she ever received is a son, Jason Maxwell Juban |
Greater New Orleans |
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 Horst Pfeifer, Middendorf’s and the Foundry, New Orleans |
Horst Pfeifer became the world’s youngest Master Chef at the age of 25. He and his wife Karen moved to New Orleans in 1991 and opened Bella Luna Restaurant, which they successfully operated for 15 years during which time they purchased and refurbished a historic 19th century warehouse to create a unique event venue known as The Foundry. After losing Bella Luna to hurricane Katrina, Horst and Karen purchased Middendorf’s Seafood Restaurant, a historic landmark located in the fishing village of Manchac. After hurricane Katrina, Horst provided food and shelter for many first responders at The Foundry. He also provided a complimentary Thanksgiving Dinner after Katrina with the help of the Orleans Parish Criminal Sheriffs Office, feeding 10,000 people. The Foundry has also served many non-profit groups throughout the city. Fundraisers are often held at The Foundry with special consideration given to their cause. Horst provides a special venue to many local schools, auction houses, city organizations, business councils and other organizations in need. |
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