Thursday, March 19, 2009

Owner of Rouse's Grocery Dies at 79


Anthony J. Rouse, owner of the Rouse's grocery chain, died Thursday, March 5th. He was 79. Rouse had opened his first store in Houma and the stores proliferated in the Houma and Thibodaux area. After Hurricane Katrina he bought all the Sav-A-Center and A&P stores. The chain now incloudes 35 stores and employs 4,700 people, and is the largest, local owned, grocery chain in South Louisiana. He did this in the face of many businesses leaving the New Orleans area.

Rouse was born in Marrero but later moved with his family to Thibodaux. In 1960, he opened a 7,000-square-foot grocery store in Houma with his cousin, Ciro DiMarco. DiMarco retired in 1975, and Rouse's son Donald became manager of the store, which was renamed Rouses.

I love the little French Quarter location (above), it is handy, small, and carries nearly everything. It's nice to see a local chain do well in this economy, or any economy.

RouxBDoo

2 comments:

  1. I like the Rouses grocery stores. They have good prices and I've found some neat food items there too.

    I didn't realize there were that many of them.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey RouxBDoo, Thanks for the compliments on my site. I have been following yours and danno's for a while. I have to say yall are the ones that got me going. Also thanks for following. I have added you to my blog roll as well. I have a lot to add, I am just slow. Feel free to embed any vids you like or think your patrons would enjoy. We are friends of the Rouse family, I dont know this gentleman, just some of the grand children. Good people. Thanks again.

    ReplyDelete

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