Rouses
Encyclopedia
Rouses Supermarkets are a chain of grocery markets based in the U.S. states of Louisiana
and Mississippi
with more than 5,000 employees. The company had its start as the City Produce Company, founded in Thibodaux, Louisiana
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, and shipped them around the United States.
In 1960, Anthony Rouse (son of J. P. Rouse) and his cousin, Ciro DiMarco, opened a 7000 square feet (650.3 m²) grocery store in Houma, Louisiana
.
In the 1970s, the company operated stores in Houma
, Raceland
and the Rouses’ hometown of Thibodaux. During the 1980s, the company opened new stores in South Louisiana, in the communities if Lockport
, Cut Off
and Morgan City
.
Rouses opened a first store in Metairie
in 1995 and was then the largest independent grocer in Louisiana.
In 2003, Rouses opened a 54000 square feet (5,016.8 m²) store in Covington
. 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 area, Rouses acquired 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
, a community in the Lafayette
area. This location was the first in the Acadiana
region for the chain, its western-most store, and the biggest grand opening event in company history.
Anthony Rouse died on March 5, 2009 at the age of 79.
In 2010, the company acquired a store in Mathews, Louisiana
which was previously operated by Winn-Dixie
.
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
and Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
with more than 5,000 employees. The company had its start as the City Produce Company, founded in Thibodaux, Louisiana
Thibodaux, Louisiana
Thibodaux is a small 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 14,431 at the 2000 census. Thibodaux is a principal city of the Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodaux...
by J. P. Rouse in 1923, which bought produce from local farmers in the Terrebonne
Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana
Terrebonne Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Houma. Its population was 111,860...
and Lafourche
Lafourche Parish, Louisiana
Lafourche Parish is a parish located in the south of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It was originally the northern part of Lafourche Interior Parish, which consisted of the present parishes of Lafourche and Terrebonne. The parish seat is Thibodaux...
Parishes, as well as the French Market
French Market
The French Market is a market and series of commercial buildings in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.It stretches just inland from the Mississippi River in the section of the French Quarter downriver from Jackson Square, with the famous Café du Monde at the upriver end, down to the...
in New Orleans, and shipped them around the United States.
In 1960, Anthony Rouse (son of J. P. Rouse) and his cousin, Ciro DiMarco, opened a 7000 square feet (650.3 m²) grocery store in Houma, Louisiana
Houma, Louisiana
Houma is a city in and the parish seat of Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, and the largest principal city of the Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodaux Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's powers of government have been absorbed by the parish, which is now run by the Terrebonne Parish...
.
In the 1970s, the company operated stores in Houma
Houma, Louisiana
Houma is a city in and the parish seat of Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, and the largest principal city of the Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodaux Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's powers of government have been absorbed by the parish, which is now run by the Terrebonne Parish...
, Raceland
Raceland, Louisiana
Raceland is a census-designated place on Bayou Lafourche in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 10,224 at the 2000 census...
and the Rouses’ hometown of Thibodaux. During the 1980s, the company opened new stores in South Louisiana, in the communities if Lockport
Lockport, Louisiana
Lockport is a town on Bayou Lafourche in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,624 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodaux Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, Cut Off
Cut Off, Louisiana
Cut Off is a census-designated place on the Bayou Lafourche in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,635 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodaux Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and Morgan City
Morgan City, Louisiana
Morgan City is a city in St. Martin and St. Mary parishes in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 12,404 at the 2010 census....
.
Rouses opened a first store in Metairie
Metairie, Louisiana
Metairie is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States and is a major part of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area. Metairie is the largest community in Jefferson Parish. It is an unincorporated area that would be larger than most of the state's cities if it were...
in 1995 and was then the largest independent grocer in Louisiana.
In 2003, Rouses opened a 54000 square feet (5,016.8 m²) store in Covington
Covington, Louisiana
Covington is a city in and the parish seat of St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 8,483 at the 2000 census. It is located at a fork of the Bogue Falaya and the Tchefuncte River....
. That store was followed by other St. Tammany Parish
St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana
St. Tammany Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana, in the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner Metropolitan Statistical Area. The parish seat is Covington....
locations in Mandeville
Mandeville, Louisiana
Mandeville is a city in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 12,421 in 2008. Mandeville is located on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain, south of Interstate 12. It is across the lake from the city of New Orleans and its southshore suburbs...
in 2005 and Slidell
Slidell, Louisiana
Slidell is a city situated on the northeast shore of Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 25,695 at the 2000 census. The Greater Slidell Community has a population of about 90,000...
in 2006.
In 2007, two years after hurricanes Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
and Rita
Hurricane Rita
Hurricane Rita was the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the most intense tropical cyclone ever observed in the Gulf of Mexico. Rita caused $11.3 billion in damage on the U.S. Gulf Coast in September 2005...
devastated the New Orleans area, Rouses acquired A&P’s Southern Division of 17 Sav-A-Center
Sav-A-Center
Sav-A-Center was an A&P-owned chain of 20 supermarkets in the greater New Orleans, Louisiana area. The division operated throughout Louisiana, and had two stores in Mississippi...
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, Louisiana
Youngsville is a city in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,289 as of the 2005 Census Bureau estimates. It is part of the Lafayette Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Youngsville is located at ....
, a community in the Lafayette
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
area. This location was the first in the Acadiana
Acadiana
Acadiana, or The Heart of Acadiana, is the official name given to the French Louisiana region that is home to a large Francophone population. Of the 64 parishes that make up Louisiana, 22 named parishes and other parishes of similar cultural environment, make up the intrastate...
region for the chain, its western-most store, and the biggest grand opening event in company history.
Anthony Rouse died on March 5, 2009 at the age of 79.
In 2010, the company acquired a store in Mathews, Louisiana
Mathews, Louisiana
Mathews is a census-designated place on Bayou Lafourche in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,003 at the 2000 census...
which was previously operated by Winn-Dixie
Winn-Dixie
Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. is an American supermarket chain based in Jacksonville, Florida. Winn-Dixie has ranked number 24 in the 2010 "Top 75 North American Food Retailers" based on 2009 fiscal year estimated sales of $7.3 billion by Supermarket News. and was ranked the 43rd largest retailer in the...
.
Recognition
- 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
- 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