July_Aug_2015_FINAL_62215_bleedless REV

the Anniversary issue

• • •   Rouses was born in Houma, one of many municipalities in south Louisiana that bear enough proximate cultural affinity as to convey a certain geographical allowance — which holds that if you’re close enough to pick up WWL’s broadcast of Saints games on your radio on Sunday afternoons in the fall, you’re close enough to call New Orleans home. And if Saints fans actually tailgate in your parking lot on game day — as they do at the Rouses on Baronne Street in the CBD – then your local standing is unimpeachable. Or, as Dr. John might put it: That’s legitimatical credentialization. How did Rouses become such a beloved institution in such a short time? How did it morph into the area’s best and most popular supermarket?* (*SeeGambit Readers poll “The Best of NewOrleans,”2008-present. Or any other poll. Or just ask anybody.) Before Katrina struck, 10 years ago, there were 15 Rouses Markets in Saints country, including two in Metairie and one in Covington. The storm pared that down to three — one of the Metairie stores never reopened. That wouldn’t appear to be such a strong position to launch an effort to win the hearts, minds — and loyal business — of the New Orleans market, but that would soon change. The storm, the flood, the recovery and the rebuilding forced every business to rethink itself and — in many cases — reimagine itself. And in September of 2007 — almost exactly two years after the storm — Rouses made a blockbuster deal that would essentially redefine the company.

by Chris Rose + photos by Frank Aymami

A lthough it seems so familiar, so ubiquitous — as the saying goes, so Naturally N’Awlins — the fact is, while Rouses has been around for 55 years, it’s relatively new to New Orleans. But something happened on that day the first Rouses Market opened in the city in the fall of 2007 — something equally only-in-New Orleans —which conferred upon the franchise the kind of legitimacy that usually takes a company decades to earn in this town. That morning, a caller to WWL radio referred to the new store in Mid City as “Rooses.” Two calls later, someone called it “Ralph’s.”

Minutes later, another called it, “the Rouse.” Fromthatmoment,iconic status was assured. One of the weird and adorable quirks of this city — inexplicable, nonsensical, but absolute — is that once everyone here starts mispronouncing your name, you’ve got it made. We repeatedly butcher your name — high five! You’re part of the family now. A quarter century after it closed, we still call it D.H.“Holmses.”“K & B, KB,”we loved them so much we even named a color after them. Here in New Orleans, we’re always getting it wrong in just the right ways. In an environment so determinedly and contentedly eccentric and unique — it’s no easy feat to become the store locals think of when you say the words “makin’ groceries.” Especially after only eight years on the scene. This isn’t New York, the Big Apple. We all know: If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere. This is New Orleans — not so Big and never Easy — and if you can make it here, well then — nothing else really matters, quite frankly.

The World Famous Pinettes All Girl Brass band performing at Rouses tailgate.

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MY ROUSES EVERYDAY JULY | AUGUST 2015