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ROUSES.COM
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FAMILY LETTER
The More the Merrier
L
eBlanc’s Food Stores has been a mainstay in Gonzales since 1961. L.C.
LeBlanc opened the first LeBlanc’s Food Stores in 1961 just one year
after my grandfather opened his first store in Houma. A second, third and
fourth generation of LeBlancs helped grow the company into one of the
largest independents in Louisiana.
We have always eyed expansion in Baton Rouge and the surrounding
areas. Blending a great food tradition like LeBlanc’s Food Stores into our
company made perfect sense. Our families are longtime friends. We have
both built our businesses on quality, selection, service and low prices. We
share a common philosophy, history and commitment to community. This
really is a perfect fit.
I want to personally welcome LeBlanc’s dedicated customers, teammembers
and vendor partners to our Rouses family. We will be keeping everything
you love about LeBlanc’s — the strawberry shortcakes and four-layer cakes,
the hand-cut USDA Choice Angus Beef steaks, the delicious prepared food,
and especially the people.The cashier who checked you out at LeBlanc’s will
be the same cashier who checks you out at Rouses.
Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and thank you for shopping at Rouses.
We truly appreciate your business.
Donny Rouse
3
rd
Generation
On the Cover
Seafood Stuffed Mirliton
cover photo by
Romney Caruso
• • •
EAT | DRINK | BE MERRY
WHAT I’M EATING
Talking about holiday foods can be as fun as the meals
themselves. In my family, cooking is an all-hands-on-
deck effort when we gather Thanksgiving and Christmas
dinners. Everyone brings a dish, but my grandfather’s
famous oyster dressing has always been my favorite.
Since he passed in 2009, the dressing has fallen under
my father’s domain.
Find Mr. Anthony’s Downhome
Oyster Dressing recipe on page 25.
WHAT I’M DRINKING
Now that the colder weather has finally arrived, it’s
time to break out the bourbon. Buffalo Trace on the
rocks is my cold weather drink.
BE MERRY
As Christmas approaches, my wife Kara and I look
forward to our favorite Gulf Coast tradition — holiday
boat parades. We take our kids to see the shrimp
boats decorated with Christmas lights. It’s a perfect
way to experience and celebrate our ties to the coastal
waterways we call home.
For more on Christmas boat
parades see Jyl Benson’s story on page 52.
BE GENEROUS
As we’re looking forward to the New Year, it’s important
to remember how much we have to be grateful for and
how many communities are still suffering the lingering
effects of last August’s unprecedented and severe floods.
People from all over the Gulf Coast generously donated
more than $200,000 in cash and non-perishable food to
help us feed and support these communities, but there
is more to be done. Too many families on the Gulf Coast
miss meals and go hungry during the holidays.
We encourage you to join us and help fight hunger by
supporting Feeding America with a donation of non-
perishable food or money at any Rouses Markets. We
make it easy to give — just scan a coupon at the Rouses
register to add to your bill, or purchase a pre–packed $10
bags of canned goods and drop it in our donation barrel.
Donny and Donald Rouse — photo by
Ryan Hodgson-Rigsbee