On Easter Sunday, 1955, Roland 'Aime' and Rita Lafrance took the biggest risk of their lives when they opened a family restaurant in Westport, MA, named it White's, hired customer service driven employees and embarked on a family enterprise. Aime assumed responsibility for the kitchen and Rita oversaw the 'front of the house' - the service delivery side. Through constant attention to each customer
and each detail, the business grew. White's developed a reputation for fine family dining, later becoming the location of choice for wedding receptions, and other banquets and functions. Their only child, Richard, joined the business and learned every aspect of running a highly successful restaurant/banquet facility. Over time, he took a more pivotal role and developed ideas for the growth and expansion of the business plan. For example, having to disappoint people looking to hold large parties at White's led to the addition of the Grand Salon in 1985, an addition which added 9,800 square feet, and greater flexibility to the business. Lafrance Hospitality Company took a step in a new direction in 1989, with the opening of it's first limited service Hampton Inn hotel, adjacent to White's of Westport. Since then, Lafrance Hospitality has continued to grow by establishing franchised partnerships with Marriott, Hilton, Choice and, most recently, IHG properties. The restaurant and banquet divisions have continued to grow as well, with the purchase of Bittersweet Farm in 1998, Rachel's Lakeside in 2002, the opening of the Waypoint Event Center in 2010 and most recently the opening of Ten Cousins Brick Oven in June of 2012.
