About Us
Earl and Sarah Ledbetter married in LaFayette, Georgia in 1945. They were a part of what writers have referred to as the Great Generation — a group of people who gave up so much to start over after WWII. This generation shared a determination to succeed and help rebuild the nation.
Earl's first exposure to food service was through watching his father run food concessions in a local cotton mill. Sarah and Earl bought a local restaurant, which was the beginning of their life in food service. They served the local public as well as industry in their hometown of LaFayette.
In 1963, the food service contract of E.T. Barwick Carpet Mills became available. The Ledbetters, with faith in God and each other, set out with determination and desire to receive the businees. The contract was awarded to them, and this event would prove to be the beginning of Restaurant Enterprises.
The Ledbetters' two sons have carried on the tradition with Stan joining the company in 1972 and Steve in 1980. Prior to joining the family business, Stan earned a degree in accounting and worked at PriceWaterhouse, while Steve earned his degree in marketing and a Masters degree in hotel and restaurant management.
Stan and Steve have always believed in listening and providing innovative solutions to their clients' needs. This has included being one of the first to offer a soup and salad bar in anindustrial setting, serving pizza on-site, and packaging platter food to sell through vending machines. Additionally, Stan and Steve were co-founders of the first automated pre-paid card company in the United States — Debitek, Inc.
The latest example of their innovation can be seen in the formation of RE Services. After proving their management capabilities through Restaurant Enterprises, the Ledbetters formed RE Services and purchased several additional food service companies from Coca-Cola Enterprises. The addition of these companies under the RE Services umbrella bring new and sustained life to your local member of the family. The Ledbetters have always operated Restaurant Enterprises as a family business, and now Steve and Stan's business are able to operate this family of companies.
