ROUSES_JanFeb2019_Magazine

2020 IS OUR 60TH ANNIVERSARY, WHICH HAS ALL OF US THINKING about where we’ve been and where we are going. We began in 1960 with a small neighborhood store, Ciro's, in Houma, Louisiana. As a convenience to their custom- ers, my father and his brothers sometimes delivered what was purchased. Fifty-nine years later, we still offer grocery delivery, only now instead of my dad and Uncle Tommy doing it, profes- sional shoppers personally select everything on your list and deliver it your home or office the same day, often within an hour. We also offer curbside pickup. Our first Rouses supermarket opened in Thibodaux in 1975. My grandfather lived right next door, and we used the homemade smokehouse in his backyard to make our Cajun specialties. Today, we have state-of-the-art smokehouses in our stores, but the recipes are the same ones my grandfather used. That first supermarket also had the first deli in Thibodaux. The food was so good people would buy lunch to serve for dinner. Prepared foods are still a big part of what makes us special, and an even bigger part of our business today. And it’s not just fully cooked food — our chefs and cooks are making it easy for you to serve your family a home-cooked meal with ready-to-cook offer- ings. Our butcher shops offer more than just great steaks. We have stuffed meats and vegetables you can just pop in the oven or on the grill. My grandfather always wanted to be “first” — that first Rouses supermarket also had the very first floral shop and bakery in the area. It was the first grocery store in Louisiana with a barcode scanner. We still want to be first to market with everything, because we want you, our customer, to experience it first. That’s why we went directly to Italy to get our olio novello . It’s the first batch of oil made from the olive harvest. The olives are picked early and pressed immediately, which preserves the luscious flavor and fragrant aroma of the olive fruit. You’ll definitely catch us reminiscing a bit this year, as we prepare to celebrate next year with a big blowout. We’ve experienced many changes over the past 59 years, and it’s a lot of fun looking back. One thing hasn’t changed. The same values our founder, my grandfather, Anthony J. Rouse, Sr., had back then — such as hard work, family and a commitment to giving you the best quality at the best price — still apply today. Whether you shop online or in person, we want you to have a remarkable experience every time. by Donny Rouse CEO, 3rd Generation from the family

everyday JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

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