Above and Beyond – Lisa Meurgue

By Steve Gimmestad
steve@coastalbreezenews.com

Life is a busy proposition for most of us. We all have things to do, places to be and people to see. Some people, however, have the alacrity to fit even more into a full day. One of those people is Lisa Meurgue.

Lisa, along with husband Chef Denis Meurgue, have owned and operated Bistro Soleil in Olde Marco since 2008. Owning a restaurant, in itself, fills up a day very quickly and very intensely. And in 2013, they opened Petit Soleil, in the Shops of Olde Marco. So how does one go about having time for so much

else when running not one, but two, restaurants?

“It really helps to have a great staff in your business,” says Lisa. “It gives you a chance to do other things instead of having to be at work all day. We have a great staff here and they are appreciated very much.”

Lisa enjoyed being involved with her children’s (Margaux, Alexandra and Emmanuelle) academic and social pursuits as they grew up. She has been on the Student Advisory Councils for Lely, Marco Island Charter Middle School and Tommie Barfield. She also served on the board for Marco Island Charter Middle School. And there

were still many volunteer hours put in on various activities and fundraising events.

Lisa was one of the initiators for the Travel Club at the Charter Middle School. Each year, they journey to Washington D.C. and get an up-close and personal experience with our nation’s capital. She is also involved with the Education Committee of the Chamber. They put on the Souper Bowl event which raises money for scholarships.

In 2006, Lisa lost her sister to cancer. Her father is a survivor of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Lisa is a breast cancer survivor herself, and continues the battle by being heavily involved with the

American Cancer Society. The fashion show, along with other related activities, go a long way in helping fight cancer. If you are familiar with the work of the American Cancer Society and its activities, you will know many good people put in a lot of hours to make things happen. Lisa is very proud to be part of those efforts.

Last year, Lisa, and daughter Emmanuelle, traveled to Belize with the Catholic Heartwork Camp through San Marco Catholic Church. They spent a week doing volunteer work there. This year they will be going

to Grenada.

“That week in Belize was very enlightening and very fulfilling,” says Lisa. “We turned off the electronics and every day was about doing something for somebody else. It was great!”

Through the restaurant, Lisa and Chef Denis take a group to France each year for some wonderful cultural exposure.

When asked how she fits all this into her day, Lisa laughs heartily: “A lot of coffee…and I’m not a vampire. It’s like that Jon Bon Jovi song where he says ‘I’ll sleep when I’m dead’.”

Being busy, it helps to have support. Lisa gives her parents, Roger and Judy Mercado, a lot of credit, and appreciation, for being there so much.