The Player; Lynne Breaux

By Bob Madigan and Veena Trehan | June 14th, 2011 

There’s the tireless advocate for the restaurant industrywho has raised the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington – and area restaurants- to a sky-high profile. There’s the RAMW president who is passionate,effective and likeable as she works with the DC Council and Congress.

Then there’s the girl who feasted on her grandfather’s fisheggs and crawfish and still loves pigs in a blanket. The former model whoseentree into the hospitality industry came through being noticed on a rooftop ina tiny bikini. The woman who posed in Playboy, albeit fully clothed. The womanwho got married in Vegas.

Will the real Lynne Breaux please stand up?

When she speaks up, Bob Madigan and I realize that asidefrom the occasional drawn-out word, she’s the fastest talker of all ourPlayers. She’s a clear blend – marrying the Louisiana love of fun, food and hospitalityto an energy and political drive decidedly DC.

Now at Ris restaurant, she’s talking about the June 26 RAMMYaward gala themed Carnevale da Cuisine.

“It’s about the crazy colorful diversity of the industry nowin all different price points, all different neighborhoods in the city and theregion – the upper end, lower end, a mix of the above,” she pauses. “It’s justbeen this carnival.”

The RAMMY awards’ visibility has shot up as the DCrestaurant scene exploded during a decade under her association leadership.Restaurants are in our face with the food network and focus on cooking. DCrestaurants – and, by extension, the city – have thrived. It’s in no littlepart due to dining, says Breaux.

“I wrote a story once about the five Rs - restaurants begetretail beget residential beget resurgence beget revenue,” she says. “Look at U Street, Gallery Place, H Street right now- restaurants start it and then the rents go up and the buildings go down andthe restaurants find another place, which is what happened with me.”

Breaux owned Capitol Hill’s Tunnicliff’s Tavern from 1988 to2001, a Cajun place with wild Mardi Gras parties that drew politicians andcelebrities in the pre-cell phone era. She remembers then maps fell off at 1st St. SE,excluding Eastern Market and Southeast DC.

Now the restaurant scene is extending its vibrancy andreach. Chef Geoff’s opened in Virginia and PassionFish in Restonwhile a Virginia-centric restaurant group opened up ChurchKey and Birch &Barley. Suburbs and city alike compete actively for a slew of awardscelebrating their appeal, excellence and staff.

The Challenge

It wasn’t always so. Breaux became executive director inOctober 2001, announcing her anxiety in a board meeting three weeks after 9-11.“I said I had nightmares last night and you’d think it would be about bombs andplanes but it was about membership,” she laughs. The membership wassurprisingly fewer than 200 restaurants versus the over 700 today.

RAMW raised the profile of both restaurateurs andrestaurants through catchy award phrases and ritzy events, established New York’s popularrestaurant week as a success in its own right, expanded member classes, and, ofcourse, organized powerful lobbying efforts.

Breaux also raised DC dining’s profile, surprising topmagazine writers with the richness of Washington’soptions through the RAMMYs. She’s worked with embassies to promote their food,pumping up trade of Icelandic and Chilean exports.

Her personal life has also thrived. Two years ago, shemarried Ford lobbyist Peter Arapis after seeing him for 13 years with asurprise 8 a.m. Las Vegasceremony followed by a not-so-fancy brunch.

You’ve come a long way, baby.

Her Past

Breaux earned her degree in sociology from Louisiana StateUniversity. She emergedwith two valuable skills - understanding group dynamics and speed dating. Shegoes to numerous functions, but rarely eats at them these days. “You’ve got tolook good, you represent the industry,” she laughs. Instead, when she goes toevents, she quickly meets the people on her list.

Her New Orleansbackground also gave her direction through an unusual un-PC start. “I wasswimming on the rooftop [of a NewOrleans hotel] in a teeny bikini and someone said youought to apply for the job of assistant manager on duty and I did,” shereminisces. “A light bulb went off: hospitality was what I wanted to do.”

But New Orleanswasn’t quite the speed of this fast-talking southerner. “That’s one reason Ileft there,” she laughs. “My mom would say patience is a virtue.” Breaux hitsthe table like a frustrated teenager, saying, “Mooom.”

And then there’s the type of exhaustion many of us can onlyfantasize about. “You can only eat, drink and party so much.”

She moved to Aspenfor a year working in a restaurant, where she was asked to pose in a men'smagazine and did so – but fully clothed, in an article titled “What Kind of ManReads Playboy?” Then she returned to NewOrleans only to transfer from her position as cateringdirector at the Royal Orleans hotel to work at DC’s Ritz-Carlton in the samecapacity.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Issues and Trends

“Probably my highest priority at this point is keeping Metroopen til 3 a.m.,” she says, citing the constituents – diners and revelers, yes,but also employees.

One highly emotional issue? Food trucks, which flip outrestaurateurs. “When the trucks park in front of a restaurant, it doesn’tmatter if same type or it’s a different type of food, it impacts business,” shesays. “RAMW has been portrayed as anti-truck but we’re not anti-truck we’re fora fair and balanced regulatory environment,” she says, citing taxes as oneissue.

As for obesity, she thinks nutrition education should startin schools and exercise should be emphasized, a la “Let’s Move”, but also thatthe industry should embrace a proactive stance. DC’s options have expanded toinclude a simple Chipotle championing humane treatment and a proliferationsalad and high end places touting food quality, local ingredients andsustainability.

Breaux is also concerned about profitability, which fellfrom 4 percent in 2009 to 2 to 2 ½ percent today, and, by extension, taxation.

Issues are challenging, but the restaurant spokeswoman alsoremains on the bustling forefront of DC dining where she sees lots of excitingtrends.

“For years hotel food was fantastic. You would go to hotelsfor the dining experience. Then it was like, ‘Oh that FNB? [food and beverage]is costing way too much money, let’s just sell the rooms,’” she recalls. Afterseeing in the potential of weddings to bring in room revenue, places like theKimpton Group decided food was a winner. Poste, Watershed and Maestro representsome excellent hotel options.

A not so new trend? Tapas that sprung from Spain butdeveloped into diversity of dining options at places like Masa 14, Cava, andKushi. “Small plates,” says Breaux. “That’s going to stay around forever.”

A third is unfussy and unglamorous street food, she says,citing a recent article about healthier hot dogs. And though she’s dining on asalmon salad she indulges her food fandom. “I happen to love pigs in a blanketwhich sounds so tacky,” she jokes before defending her choice “A deliciousmini-sausage with a perfect mustard and a crispy crunchy wrapping – there’snothing better.”

As she leaves to work on gala planning, we sharpen our forksin anticipation of more delicious DC dinners.