OUR Team
ROBERT LEBLANC
FOUNDER + CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Upon graduating from Loyola University New Orleans, Robert LeBlanc started a record label, Renaissance Records, that evolved into an event planning and guerrilla marketing firm called The Renaissance Initiative. His first hospitality project was music venue Republic New Orleans, with hotel bars LePhare and Loa New Orleans following shortly thereafter. LeBlanc opened his first restaurant, Sylvain, in October 2010. In 2014, he created LeBLANC+SMITH, which is a boutique hospitality portfolio that now also includes The Will & The Way Bar, Barrel Proof Bar, Barracuda Taco Bar, Anna’s Bar and boutique hotel The Chloe. Robert is married to Danielle Webb and has two sons, Bear and Will and calls Uptown New Orleans home.
Lindsay Oliver
CHIEF OF STAFF
Lindsay got her start in hospitality at the Manly Wharf Hotel near Sydney, Australia. The day her beloved New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl in 2010, Lindsay decided to move back to her adopted hometown of New Orleans, where the New York native had lived while attending Tulane University. For the next decade, she worked as a bartender, beverage instructor, and General Manager at The Maison on Frenchmen Street before taking over Cavan as its General Manager in early 2020. In the fall of 2021, she was promoted to the LeBLANC+SMITH team as its Financial Controller. Lindsay loves all things New Orleans: its food, its music, and its culture. However, her heart truly belongs to the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans and her beloved Tulane Green Wave as is as avid a fan of all three as you will find anywhere in New Orleans.
Ali Grieb
HEAD OF PEOPLE
With a background in vocal performance and theater, Ali began her career touring throughout the United States. She was lucky enough to snag a position at the iconic Joe's Pub in New York City, where she performed and also found a true passion for hospitality. After moving to New Orleans she joined LeBLANC+SMITH as the General Manager of Sylvain where she absolutely fell in love with the larger than life personalities and style of New Orleans hospitality. Ali has always been dedicated to creating spaces where teams can flourish, both professionally and personally. Today, she’s driven by the mission of connecting people and fostering environments where all people can thrive and make meaningful contributions—not just at work, but in their personal lives and communities as well.
MANAGING PARTNERS
LIAM DEEGAN
MANAGING PARTNER
BARREL PROOF, ANNA’S, THE WILL & THE WAY
Liam Deegan hails from Providence, RI and attended Loyola University New Orleans. His first job bartending was on Bourbon Street, before becoming the Beverage Director at Sylvain in the French Quarter. In founding Barrel Proof and partnering in Anna’s & The Will and The Way, he began his lifelong pursuit of creating world-class neighborhood bars where someone can get an excellent cocktail or a rare spirit but would feel equally comfortable ordering a beer and a shot.
ANNA GIORDANO
MANAGING PARTNER
ANNA’S
Anna Giordano has been living and working in New Orleans for a decade. The most rewarding part of hospitality for her is the comradery. The Cheers of it all. While she has excelled in the craft of mixing drinks, she values modesty and inclusivity over "look what I can do" bar experiences. She has been hosting parties and events since childhood and holds the highest esteem for fun kitschy trinkets, events and imagery. Mix that all together and you can imagine a pretty apt account of what she and her team have molded Anna's to be. Anna is also a partner in a gallery pop-up held upstairs at Anna's called Salon D'Whatever, which is a collaborative effort to bring her love of art, community, spirits, and hospitality into one.
JASON SORBET
MANAGING PARTNER
BARREL PROOF - NASHVILLE
Jason Sorbet is a New Orleans native who found his footing behind the bar early in life at 21st Amendment Bar in the French Quarter while also earning his degree in Neuroscience. Of the two paths, he chose bartending. Jason joined the Barrel Proof team in 2017, he quickly rose to a leadership position before moving on to develop the cocktail and beverage program for the opening of The Chloe. He is now located in Nashville to lead the expansion of the Barrel Proof brand as Managing Partner.
TRISTAN FERCHL
MANAGING PARTNER
THE WILL & THE WAY
Tristan has spent the past decade in New Orleans’ hospitality scene. The Miami native started out as a short order cook and quickly moved into the coffee industry, where he discovered his passion for beverage programs. After the Miami native opened Piscobar at the Catahoula Hotel, Tristan joined the bar team at Sylvain in 2017. He has been with LeBLANC + SMITH ever since, serving as Bar Director and Interim General Manager at Sylvain before opening the Will and The Way as Managing Partner alongside Josh Williams. His favorite moments behind the bar are when he can help guests discover something new, be that anything from their first sip of amaro to an elevated version of a Cosmopolitan.
JOSH WILLIAMS
MANAGING PARTNER
THE WILL & THE WAY
Josh’s earliest culinary memories include fishing, hunting, picking berries and foraging with his godmother on the Western banks of the Mississippi River in Napoleonville, LA. He found a home in professional kitchens during high school before joining the Army at age 18. After five years of active duty, Josh pursued culinary studies at Delgado Community College. He honed his skills in legendary New Orleans kitchens like Brennan’s, The American Sector, Besh Steakhouse and Restaurant August. Josh grew to become Executive Sous Chef at Warbucks and, later, Compère Lapin. He rejoined his mentor and close friend, Chef Todd Pulsinelli, to open The Chloe before moving on to open The Will and The Way as its Managing Partner.
OUR
COMMUNITY
We are rooted in and of the south. In addition to our teams, it takes a village to make LeBLANC + SMITH what it is day in and day out. The list below reflects partners we admire and make our community what it is .