Meet Our Staff

Herman has had the pleasure of watching Lafayette Restaurant Supply grow from a small company his uncle and father built, to a very prosperous and competitive food service dealer over the years. In 1974, fresh out of college, he began his journey with the company assisting with deliveries. Eventually, he was moved over to sales where he completed a sales route, building his customers. In 1982, he took over the company from his father. He has greatly assisted in growing Lafayette Restaurant Supply to the competitive dealer it is today. Herman is fully retired and can be found working in his yard and picking fresh vegetables, teal and goose hunting, or with a fishing rod in hand. If you pass by the office at the right time, you can catch him dropping off fresh vegetables or a couple packs of fresh fish or just passing by to visit and say hello.

Poonie's journey with Lafayette Restaurant Supply began in 1990. Following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, he began learning all aspects of the foodservice industry. Today, Poonie runs the company alongside his brother, Hunter. From running the business to project management & coordination, his responsibilities are endless. He enjoys working with different architects and consultants on various projects. Poonie says, "the most rewarding part of my job is watching a project go from bare-bones to a finished product and helping customers solve problems." When he is not managing jobs or busy running the family business, Poonie enjoys golfing, boating, and spending time with his family.

Hunter first joined the LRS team in 1995 while attending college. His responsibilities at that time included deliveries, warehouse work, and equipment installs. In 1999 after graduation, Hunter came on full time as a sales rep. Today, Hunter's roles and responsibilities are running projects and day-to-day company operations. He values relationships he has built over the year and takes great pride in seeing a project progress from start to end. Outside of work, Hunter enjoys spending time and traveling with his wife Meri, spending time with his adult children, and Ragin Cajuns sports; and some of his hobbies include running, hiking, fishing, and hunting.

Joby joined the team in 1986. Since then he has become an expert on equipment install coordination. As our job site superintendent his responsibilities include management of the delivery and install crew both on and off the job site, coordination of deliveries, assisting our Project Managers with on-site measurements, supervises final job site inspections, and completion of punch list items. His work ethic is unmatched and we are proud to have such a valuable player on our team. In his spare time, Joby enjoys being a member of his pool league, camping, and enjoying the outdoors.

Donna joined our team as office manager in 1996. For over 25 years she has had a front row seat to the growth of the company. She has many roles and responsibilities that include management of customer and vendor accounts, handling both accounts payable/receivable, managing office personnel...just to name a few. She exemplifies professionalism, dedication, and willingness to get things done. She keeps everyone grounded and our office running smoothly. When she is not managing the office, Donna enjoys attending baseball and soccer games with her grandchildren, working in her yard and watching her hummingbirds.

Shane has been a key member of our LRS team since the fall of 2013. As warehouse manager his responsibilities include inspecting/receiving inbound and outbound freight, organization of our 6000 square foot warehouse, and sorting non inventory equipment, furniture, and parts. He assists in coordinating job site deliveries and keeps a detailed log of all equipment and supplies for each major job. His organizational skills coupled with his energy and work ethic are extraordinary. Shane enjoys spending his time in his workshop, caring for his animals, and spending time with his beloved grandchildren.

Jackie joined the team in the summer of 2016 as an assistant project manager. Since then, she has filled several roles at LRS. She is currently assistant project manager, but she still handles many things, including assisting in putting together projects for the project managers, processing orders, following up on due dates, inbound/outbound freight. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her husband Michael and their son. She enjoys reading, crafting, and remodeling their home.

Following in the footsteps of his father, Hunter, Ethan first started off assisting with deliveries, warehouse work, and equipment installations in the summer of 2013. Since then Ethan has been eagerly learning the ins and outs of the foodservice industry. In 2018 he joined our sales team and is quickly growing relations with his new customers. Ethan says he is excited to take on this new role and continue the family business onto a 4th generation. Outside of work, Ethan enjoys fishing, hunting, and dog training.

Prior to joining the LRS Family in the Summer of 2024, Fred has been in service to the Restaurant Industry for over 40 years. At age 12, he washed dishes and bussed tables at Jake's Seafood in Marrero, LA. At 15, became a member of the kitchen crew, then at 18, served guest until enrolling at U.S.L. in 1991.
Fred continued his food service adventure in Lafayette as a server/bartender/doorman/manager within the Pete's "Multiverse" (on the Strip, on Johnston, on the Hook, Sticks, Pedro's Mexican Cantina) and as server at Golden China, Lafayette's premier full service, upscale Asian Restaurant.
In 1995, he began the three-year Culinary Apprenticeship Program at Delgado in New Orleans. During that time, he served short stints in the kitchens of Semolina and Barreca's Creole Italian Restaurant (Chef Nash's family's restaurant) in Old Metairie. The remaining two and half years of culinary school, he apprenticed under Chef/Owner Randy Barlow of Kelsey's in Uptown New Orleans. Randy, an inaugural graduate of the Delgado Culinary Arts Program, apprenticed under Beloved, World-Famous Chef Paul Prudhomme. Fred's claim to fame; he's a culinary grandson of Chef Paul.
Upon graduation, Fred returned to Acadiana and joined the culinary team at Prejean's under Award-Winning Executive Chef James Graham. Fred, under Chef James' tutelage, captured multiple medals at culinary competitions across the Gulf South. Two years later, he was named Executive Chef. Fred also served as the Interim GM.
2002 offered a career changing opportunity, Fred joined Leah Simon, Michele & Sean Ezell at Tsunami Sushi. Team Tsunami opened in Baton Rouge in 2005, Cypress Bayou Casino (2015) then New Orleans (2017). In Spring 2024, introduced the 2nd Baton Rouge location of Tsunami Sushi. Over the 22 years, Fred served as GM, Chef, Regional Manager, Managing Partner, and Chief Operations Officer.
Outside of work, Fred enjoys cooking with friends/family; primarily, the act of gathering in/around the kitchen, sipping on beverages, "making up" stories, sharing laughs while preparing food. He is currently in pursuit of an actual hobby. After years of working in an industry filled with 10-16 hour days in a 6-7 day work week, Fred hopes to find something that will ignite a passion outside of his addiction to reality TV competition shows.

Ronnie joined our team in the summer of 2022. In his role as inside sales his responsibilities include taking phone orders, assisting with walk in customers and inventory of showroom floor. In his spare time Ronnie enjoys collecting sports memorabilia and spending time with his family.

Heather Isham is a dedicated professional who has been making her mark in the foodservice industry since 2016. Her journey began in sales, where she quickly demonstrated her skills and passion for the field. Heather's talent and hard work didn't go unnoticed, and she soon advanced to the role of project manager. In this position, she honed her ability to oversee complex projects and ensure they were completed successfully.
Today, Heather continues to thrive in the industry as an estimator, a role that requires meticulous attention to detail and a deep understanding of costs and resources. She excels at analyzing data and providing accurate cost assessments for various foodservice projects.
Outside of her professional life, Heather is a loving wife to her husband, Asa, and a proud mother to two beautiful girls. Her family is her world, and she cherishes every moment spent with them. Heather is also actively involved in her community, particularly at her daughters' dance studio, where she enjoys assisting and supporting young dancers.
Traveling is another one of Heather's passions. She loves exploring new places and experiencing different cultures with her family. When it's time to unwind, Heather finds joy in spending weekends at the lake, where she can relax and create lasting memories with her loved ones. Whether she's working on a new project, helping at the dance studio, or enjoying family time, Heather Isham brings enthusiasm and dedication to everything she does.

Griffin joined the team in the summer of 2024. He is a 2023 graduate of Louisiana State University with a major in Business. Following in his father's footsteps, Herman Thibeaux III, he is eager to learn all aspects of the foodservice industry. Griffin is excited to make new connections and grow relationships with customers. In his free time, he enjoys playing golf, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.