July_Aug_2015_FINAL_62215_bleedless REV

A MAJOR LOSS • ROUSES HISTORY

Donny Rouse My grandfather died March 5, 2009. He and my grandmother had been married for 58 years. Pa began his career sorting shallots and ended it as owner of the largest independent grocery chain in Louisiana. He knew every inch of the business. He loved it. Even at 79, he couldn’t stay away from it. He was in the office the Friday before he went to the hospital. Our new Rouses Market in Youngsville opened two months before Pa died, and he and my grandmother were there to cut the ribbon. It was one of our largest grand openings in history, and our first store in Acadiana. Pa was an entrepreneur, like his dad, like my dad and uncle, and he got a kick out of competition. No one was more excited about our expansion. We opened our first grocery store in New Orleans October of 2007, and less than a year later, Rouses was voted Best Grocery Store in the city. Pa was as proud of that as he was of how much we’d grown. Ali Rouse Royster In 2005, I interviewed my grandfather for my Nicholls State University MBA project on entrepreneurship. Pa believed in education — he was very proud that his grandchildren had the opportunity to go to college when he didn’t even get to finish high school. But one thing was clear after the interview — you don’t need an MBA to be an entrepreneur. You just need passion — and the right people. Here is an excerpt from the interview. • • •   Ali: Who are the key people at Rouses? Mr. Anthony: The key people are my sons, Donald and Tommy. They are my youngest boys. But the people I rely on most are right at the store, the managers and employees at the store. Ali: What were your expectations for Rouses? Mr. Anthony: Where we are now is way over my expectations. I never dreamed it would become this big. ( We had 16 stores at this point. No one could have imagined we would some day have 45.) Ali: What were the major milestones, where you felt like the company shifted? Mr. Anthony: We had to change with the times, or we wouldn’t be where we are. When we got in the biz, no one had computers or really cash registers, and we had to change with that. There were no huge stores, and now there are these big megastores to compete with. Changing with the times is part of our success. Ali: What’s special about Rouses? Mr. Anthony: We always try to give the best quality at the best price, and a big thing is service. Bagging groceries, carrying them out, listening to the customers, I think that’s one of the biggest assets we have.The people working here ... they have an interest in it and seeing it succeed, and they are loyal. And the products we carry and make. We have the latest products, but we always strive for better products. And we adjust, a whole lot faster than the big stores. We adjust to our customers needs and get what they want.

Mr. & Mrs. Anthony J. Rouse on their wedding day, circa 1949

Ali: What makes you happiest? Mr. Anthony: I really raised a family in this business, and grandchildren. Ali: Is it challenging? Mr. Anthony: It’s a demanding industry of your time and energy, and it’s a 24-hour job especially when you are at the head. And there’s always a challenge. Without a challenge, you get lost, you get complacent, and that’s not good. • • •   The interview took place a fewmonths after hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Ali: How did the recent hurricanes affect Rouses? Mr. Anthony: We had a lot of damage and a lot of damage to our customer base and to the people. We managed and came out of it and got all but one store (in Metairie) back up and running.We were fortunate compared to other people. Ali: Is there anything you think I missed? Mr. Anthony: No, you did very good. Ali: It went pretty good? Mr. Anthony: I think so. Ali: If I think of anything else, I know how to reach you.

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