Rouses Markets are a chain of grocery supermarkets in the U.S. states of

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 20th-smal ...

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...

and

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Mis ...

with more than 6,500 employees.

History

The company had its start as the City Produce Company, founded in

Thibodaux, Louisiana Thibodaux ( ) is a city in, and the parish seat of, Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, United States, along the banks of Bayou Lafourche in the northwestern part of the parish. The population was 15,948 at the 2020 census. Thibodaux is a principal c ...

by J. P. Rouse in 1923, which bought produce from local farmers in the Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes, as well as the French Market in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

In 1960, Anthony Rouse Sr. (son of J. P. Rouse) and his cousin, Ciro DiMarco, opened a grocery store in

Houma, Louisiana Houma ( ) is the largest city in, and the parish seat of, Terrebonne Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is also the largest principal city of the Houma– Bayou Cane– Thibodaux metropolitan statistical area. The city's governme ...

. In the 1970s, Ciro decided to exit the business and sold his portion of the business to Anthony's son, Ryan Rouse. In the late 1970s Anthony's son Tommy also joined the business. Throughout the 1970s, the company operated stores in Houma, Raceland and the Rouses’ hometown of Thibodaux. During the 1980s, the company opened more new stores in South Louisiana, in the communities of Lockport, Cut Off and Morgan City. Rouses opened its first store in Metairie in 1995 and was then the largest independent grocer in Louisiana. In 2003, Rouses opened a store in

Covington Covington may refer to: People * Covington (surname) Places United Kingdom * Covington, Cambridgeshire * Covington, South Lanarkshire United States * Covington, Georgia * Covington, Indiana * Covington, Kentucky, the largest American cit ...

. That store was followed by other St. Tammany Parish locations in Mandeville in 2005 and Slidell in 2006. In 2007, two years after hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

A&P’s Southern Division of 17 Sav-A-Center stores, effectively doubling the company in size, and giving the company its first stores in the city of New Orleans and in Mississippi. In 2008, Rouses acquired two additional stores in Mississippi. In January 2009, Rouses opened a newly constructed store in

Youngsville, Louisiana Youngsville is a city in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, and is part of the Lafayette metropolitan statistical area. The population was 8,105 at the 2010 U.S. census, and 15,929 at the 2020 United States census. Youngsville was the bir ...

, a community in the Lafayette area. This location was the first in the Acadiana region for the chain, its westernmost store, and the biggest grand opening event in company history. In 2010, the company acquired a store in Mathews, Louisiana which was previously operated by Winn-Dixie. In 2011, Rouses opened a 40,000-square-foot full service grocery store in the Central Business District of New Orleans, ending 45 years without. In 2013, Rouses expanded into Alabama by taking ownership of six Belle Foods stores in the Mobile area. The first of those stores opened in

Theodore, Alabama Theodore is an unincorporated area and census-designated place (CDP) in Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population was 6,270 at the 2020 census. It is a part of the Mobile metropolitan area. Prior to 1900 this area was known as "Clem ...

on February 9, 2014. In 2016, Rouses acquired LeBlanc's Food Stores, expanding its presence in the metro Baton Rouge area with 9 additional locations. All LeBlanc's Food Stores were rebranded as Rouses Markets. In 2021, Steve Galtier, the former head of Human Resources for Rouses, posted pictures on social media of himself and Donald Rouse Sr., his life partner and former boss, attending the pro-Trump rally in Washington D.C. just before the storming on the US Capitol Building. Although Rouse Sr. claims not to have taken part in the violent insurrection, many Rouses Market customers called for a boycott of their stores.

Recognition

*2018 The Shelby Report of the Southeast's Retailer of the Year *2013 The 8 Best Regional Supermarket Chains in America *2010 New Orleans Magazine's Best Grocery Store/Deli *2009 Gambit Best Supermarket *2009 Sophisticated Woman's Best Supermarket *2009 Daily Comet's Best Grocery Store in Lafourche Parish *2009 Houma Courier's Best Grocery Store in Terrebonne Parish *2009 Sophisticated Woman's Best Supermarket *2009 Jefferson Life's Best Supermarket *2009 Louisiana Life's Best Places to Work *2009 AOL's Best Grocery Stores *2008 Gambit Best Supermarket http://bestofneworleans.com *2008 Sophisticated Woman's Best Supermarket *2007 Association for Corporate Growth Louisiana Deal of the Year *2007 Sophisticated Woman's Best Supermarket *2007 Gambit Best Neighborhood Grocery on the North Shore *2006 Sophisticated Woman's Best Supermarket *2006 Progressive Grocer Store of the Month *2006 Thibodaux Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year *2005 Gambit Best Neighborhood Grocery on the North Shore *2005 St. Tammany West Chamber of Commerce Business Appreciation Award – Largest Expansion *2004 National Grocers Association Advertising Award Best Commercials *2004 National Grocers Association Advertising Award Best Grand Opening Campaign *2004 Addy Award Best Grocery Store Commercials *2003 Addy Award Best Grocery Store Commercials *1999 Food People of the Year (Donald) *1995 National Grocers Association Award - Fast Bagger *1984 Progressive Grocer Store of the Month

References

External links

* {{Supermarkets of the United States Companies based in Louisiana American companies established in 1923 Retail companies established in 1923 Supermarkets of the United States 1923 establishments in Louisiana