Rouses to Open 1st Store With Drive-Thru
The grand opening of the new Rouses Market, at 2233 Martin Luther King Boulevard in Houma, La., is set for Wednesday, Aug. 16 at 8 a.m., marking the fourth store at or near this same location, including the independent grocer’s first-ever store, Ciro’s, back in 1960. Store Director Grayling Kraemer will lead a team of 200 team members at the 60,000-square-foot store, which replaces Rouses’ “superstore,” built in 1989.
“Ciro’s laid the foundation for our company today,” noted CEO Donny Rouse. “It was a 7,000-square-foot store, with my grandfather, great-uncle and only two other employees running the show. My father, Donald Rouse, joined the company when he was old enough, bagging groceries and rounding up carts out front.”
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Acknowledging the site’s rich history, the new store includes a vintage wall with photography and advertising from Ciro’s and the early years of Rouses Markets.
Rouses Markets is also celebrating 100 years of City Produce, the first company the Rouse family started after arriving in America from Sardinia, with the big green City Produce truck slated to be on display in the store during the grand-opening festivities of the latest Houma store.
A key highlight of the new store is the Houma da Chicken drive-thru, which enables customers to pick up Rouses’ signature fried chicken without having to leave their cars. It’s the chain’s first-ever drive-thru offering.
“Everyone keeps asking me about the drive-thru,” admitted Rouse, who went on to tease, “You never know who will be working the drive-thru window during our grand opening.”
Additional store features include a deli department serving Boar’s Head products; the availability of sushi, poké bowls, and a Mongolian grill with rice bowls, teriyaki and more; fresh, convenient ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat options for individuals and families; a full-service butcher shop with USDA Prime Angus Beef and USDA Choice Angus Beef; a custom humidity- and temperature-controlled dry-aged beef locker that ages USDA Choice Angus Beef for at least 25 days; a full-service bakery with fresh-popped popcorn and cotton candy; a full-service floral department; a post office; a designated curbside pickup area; and the largest beer, wine and spirits selection in Houma – in fact, this is a Rouse Barrel House, meaning that it’s a destination for bourbon lovers.
A flag raising, check presentations to area charities and a ribbon-cutting ceremony are scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. on Aug. 16. The first 100 customers will receive a mystery gift card and free grocery items.
Family-owned Rouses operates 63 stores across three states, with additional stores under construction, and has more than 7,000 team members. The Thibodaux, La.-based grocery store chain is the official Supermarket of the New Orleans Saints.
