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The words “family business” conjure images of parents teaching their children the ins and outs of the shop they opened; a husband and wife working out of their home; or siblings teaming up to create a start-up for a crazy idea they had one night. But family businesses, much like families, come in all shapes and sizes. Ours began like most do — small. Over the past 60 years, both our family and our business have grown. On the family front, my grandparents Anthony and Joyce had six children, who gave them 17 grandchildren; our fourth generation is at a count of 23 — for now . On the business side, what my grandfather started with his cousin as one small store with a handful of employees has slowly, organically grown to 64 stores across the Gulf Coast with 7,000 team members. This growth has been surreal at times (what Pa must be thinking!) but also somehow expected , the same way we expect families to multiply with each successive generation. Our family business has become a larger player in its industry, with more people and new processes all the time. Sometimes it feels very different than it did just a few short years ago, but the conundrum is that it also feels like we’re just doing what we’ve always done. And I believe that’s part of the magic of what we’re doing here, and why we can continue to grow brick-and-mortar retail stores in this age of “everything internet.” We can take that mystery of “same yet different” and deploy it in our business model. We can provide cool, up-and-coming technologies when they make sense for our business and guests, while remaining true to our roots of providing unsur- passed customer service inside all our stores. I am “only” 37 (no snide remarks!), and as a working mom of three young children I’m a bigger utilizer of our pickup service, but I still really like to browse the store sometimes, picking out my own produce and meat and just seeing what’s new. I hope you like doing that at Rouses too; if so, I’ll see you there. Family First, Then Business by Ali Rouse Royster, 3rd Generation

Local Seafood Our Specialty! We can all agree that the best seafood in the world comes from right here on the Gulf Coast. We buy our Gulf fish, shrimp, crabs, crawfish and our wide range of oysters from dedicated, local fishermen with whom we have close personal and professional relationships. During crawfish season you can get our famous Louisiana crawfish hot from the pot, 11am to 7pm, every day. An Old-Fashioned Butcher Shop We have full-service butcher shops in our stores, and trusted butchers available to answer your questions about cuts, grades and cooking techniques. Every steak is still cut by hand. Choose from steakhouse-quality USDA Prime beef and USDA Choice beef, or more affordable options. Most of our stores also have a dry-aged beef locker, in which the beef is aged at least 25 days. Authentic Cajun Specialties We’re proud to continue the South Louisiana tradition of crafting our own Cajun specialties and real Cajun food. Our authentic boudin, spicy andouille, sausages, hogshead cheese and stuffed meats are made with Rouse Family Recipes that go back three generations. Cooking and heating instructions are available at www.rouses.com. Prepared Foods You’ll always find something hot and delicious on our line. Depending on your location, you might find barbecue, pizzas or a Mongolian grill. All of our stores feature grab-and-go meals, including $5 daily deals, fresh sandwiches and salads, and heat-and- eat dinners. Soup & Salad Bars Our make-your-own salad bars feature an ever-changing selection of prepared salads and fresh-cut vegetables and fruits. Our hot soup menu changes daily, though you’ll always find our famous gumbo — it’s a favorite year-round.

Authentic Italian Italy has a cultural heritage that is felt everywhere in the country, but nowhere more than here on the Gulf Coast. We traveled to Italy in search of some of the best and most authentic Italian products, including Italian-made pastas, olive oils, cheeses and preserves. We also partnered with the Italian Trade Agency to add hundreds of Italian imports to our shelves. Look for the Delizioso logo on our Authentic Italian items. ​ Wine, Spirits & Beer We have the Gulf Coast’s premier wine department, with wines at every price point, for both everyday and special occasions. We offer a range of bottle sizes of popular spirits, and an impressive selection of high-end and small-batch spirits and liqueurs, including gift-worthy bottles. And we get top honors for our craft beer selection, which includes cans, bottles and kegs from all over the Gulf Coast and the nation, plus import labels from around the world. Helping the Gulf Coast Grow Our local produce roots run more than 90 years deep. J.P. Rouse founded the City Produce Company in 1923, bringing fruits and vegetables from local, independent farms to the rest of the state and eventually to stores around the country. When his son, Anthony J. Rouse, Sr., opened his first grocery store in 1960, he made supporting his farmer neighbors a priority. Generations later, we are more committed than ever to our local farmers and to bringing you the very best this region has to offer.

PHOTOS BY ROMNEY CARUSO

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MARCH•APRIL 2020