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SUMMER 2025

CELEBRATING OUR FIRST 65 YEARS

If you want to know the best restaurants, bars or places to shop, ask a local. That’s why we’re so proud locals have voted Rouses the best grocery store, year after year.

65 Years & We’re Just Getting Started In 1960, my grandfather opened a little grocery store in Houma. He stocked produce that was grown just down the road. Sold seafood caught by his neighbors. And cut meat to order — just like we still do today. From that one store, we’ve grown to 66 locations with more than 7,000 team members serving over a million customers every week across the Gulf Coast. And we’re still family owned. Still loyal to local, and still bringing you the best quality at the best price. I’m so proud to carry on what my grandfather started. I’m grateful to have worked alongside him, my dad and other members of our family — and to be part of something built on generations of hard work and dedication. I’m also grateful to our incredible team, our loyal customers, our neighbors and communities, and the vendor partners who’ve helped us grow along the way.

Thank you for 65 years.

CEO, 3rd Generation

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CONTRIBUTORS ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT David W. Brown is a freelance writer whose work appears in The Atlantic , The New York Times , Scientific American and The New Yorker . His most recent book, The Mission: A True Story , a rollicking adventure about a motley band of explorers on a quest to find oceans on Europa, is in bookstores now. Brown lives in New Orleans. ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Marcelle Bienvenu is a cookbook author and food writer. A native of St. Martinville, in the heart of Cajun country, Bienvenu wrote Who’s Your Mama, Are You Catholic and Can You Make a Roux? and Eula Mae's Cajun Kitchen with Eula Mae Dora, and other books and cookbooks. She also co- authored five cookbooks with Emeril Lagasse. ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Ann Maloney is the former recipes editor and a food reporter at The Washington Post , specializing in quick and easy home cooking. From 2016 to 2019, she was a food and dining writer at NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune in her hometown of New Orleans, where she also served as arts and entertainment editor from 2004 to 2015. Prior to that, she worked for The New York Times in various roles, spending most of her time as features editor for the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group . ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Dominic Massa is executive vice president & chief operating officer at WYES-TV, New Orleans’ PBS affiliate. He has more than 25 years of experience in documentary and cultural programming and has earned two regional Emmy awards. He previously worked at WWL-TV (CBS) as executive producer. Massa has written books on New Orleans television and radio history. ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Poppy Tooker is a native New Orleanian who has spent her life immersed in the vibrant colors and flavors of her state. Poppy spreads her message statewide and beyond via her NPR-affiliated radio show and podcast, Louisiana Eats! ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Nick Underhill began his career covering the Saints for The Times-Picayune , The Advocate , and other local publications before briefly moving to Boston, where he chronicled the final chapter of the Belichick-Brady era for The Athletic. Upon returning to New Orleans, Underhill founded NewOrleans.Football, a subscription-based platform featuring in-depth articles and podcasts, sponsored by Rouses Markets. Underhill gained national recognition when he earned first place in the Associated Press Sports Editors’ (APSE) Explanatory Writing category in 2018 for his analysis of Drew Brees’ passing game since 2006. (That same year, he was named Louisiana Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association.) Previously, he earned a Top 10 Award from APSE for Breaking News as part of a team covering the 2016 shooting death of former Saints player Will Smith. ARROW-CIRCLE-RIGHT Ken Wells covered car wrecks and gator sightings for The Houma Courier before going on to a career that included 24 years at The Wall Street Journal . He’s the author of six novels of the Cajun bayous and three works of narrative nonfiction.

Creative Director & Editor Marcy Nathan

Art Director & Design Eliza Schulze

Illustrator Kacie Galtier

Marketing Coordinator Harley Breaux

Copy Editor Patti Stallard

Advertising & Marketing Tim Acosta Amanda Kennedy Stephanie Hopkins

Nancy Besson Taryn Clement Emily lajaunie

SUMMER 2025

CELEBRATING OUR FIRST 65 YEARS

Ciro’s Anthony J. Rouse and his cousin, Ciro DiMarco, opened our first store in 1960. “They named it Ciro’s,” says Donald Rouse, “because when you hung the letters on the outside of the store, Ciro’s had fewer letters than Rouse’s. That’s a true story. See page 18 for more.

Cover photo by Romney Caruso

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

IN EVERY ISSUE 1 Letter from Donny Rouse 7 Letter from the Editor by Marcy Nathan 9 Cookin’ on Hwy. 1 with Tim Acosta 13 Growing Up in the Grocery Business by Ali Rouse Royster BORN ON THE BAYOU 18 We’re As Passionate About Food As You Are by David W. Brown 23 You’re Either Local or You’re Not by David W. Brown 27 The Grocery Isle by David W. Brown 30

TASTES LIKE HOME 11 Tim Acosta's Arroz Con Pollo 12 Nick Acosta’s Pastalaya Chris Acosta’s Honey-Garlic Chicken 37 Roux 2 Geaux Summer Shrimp, Sausage, Corn and Okra Stew 39 Roux 2 Geaux Peas (Cajun Roux Peas) 47 Donny Rouses's Court Bouillon 55 Deviled Eggs 73 The Bon Ton Cafe’s Roux 2 Geaux Shrimp Stew 38

42 Whatcha Cookin’? by Ann Maloney 50 Zat’s Where It Started by David W. Brown 52 Blue Plate Special by David W. Brown 60 The Best Chefs & Cooks Shop at Rouses by Nick Underhill 62 Where the Chefs Shop by Poppy Tooker 63 Lights, Chefs, Action by Marcy Nathan 66 Feels Like Home by Ann Maloney 68 Our Roots Are in the Local Produce Business by David W. Brown 69 The Local Farmers by Jason Martinolich 70 Lessons from Mr. Anthony by Blake Richard 71 What the Water Couldn’t Wash Away by Marcelle Bienvenu Bottled in Biloxi by Dominic Massa 53

Bread Pudding Whiskey Sauce

Bayou Boys by Ken Wells 36 First, You Don’t Make a Roux by Ann Maloney 40 If Our Name Is on the Label You Can Trust It’s Good

LOOK FOR THE LOGO! Discover the roots of some of the multi-generational, family-owned businesses that shaped our region’s flavors and culture throughout this issue. “There’s something about working alongside parents, siblings and cousins — it’s what sets multi-generational, family-owned businesses like ours apart. There’s a real sense of tradition and a deep feeling of responsibility for carrying the family legacy forward.” —Donny Rouse, CEO, 3rd Generation

YOU’RE EITHER LOCAL OR YOU’RE NOT.

- Donny Rouse 3 rd Generation

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6 ROUSES SUMMER 2025 • WWW.ROUSES.COM

Letter from the Editor by Marcy Nathan, Rouses Markets Creative Director

When we opened our first locations in New Orleans two years after Katrina, we launched Where the Chefs Shop . It wasn’t just a campaign — it was the truth. We saw chefs in their white coats shopping in our stores every day — and they still do. Before long, we had Leah Chase, John Besh, Susan Spicer, Tory McPhail — and the great Paul Prudhomme — doing our commercials. Paul had actually made a few appearances in our stores years earlier, so it felt like a full-circle moment. The commercials were unscripted — we let the chefs say whatever they wanted. In Paul’s, he looked straight into the camera and said, “If you live on the Gulf Coast and you’re hungry, there’s no other place to shop than Rouses.” It was gold. This did not sit well with his PR person — Paul sold his spice mix in just about every grocery store in America. I’m pretty sure she still has my picture on a dartboard somewhere. Where the Chefs Shop became Best Chefs and Cooks in 2014 — the “cooks” part inspired, in part, by NFL wide receiver Brandin Cooks. He’s back with the Saints now, as you’ll read in Nick Underhill’s story in this issue.

In this issue, we’re revisiting some of our favorite taglines and campaigns, like Donny Rouse’s “You’re either local or you’re not.” I think they’ve stood the test of time, just like Rouses has for 65 years. Bayou Boys was one of the first campaigns I worked on for Rouses. When a big-box store announced that they were going to start boiling crawfish in Houma — Houma , as you’ll read in this issue, is where we opened our very first store in 1960 — Tim Acosta, Rouses’ Director of Marketing and Advertising (and Cajun to his core, like everyone in the Rouses family), was personally offended. “I bet they don’t even know how much water to put in the pot,” he said, shaking his head. You can’t fake Cajun. We filmed our Bayou Boys TV spots at Attakapas Landing on Lake Verret, with Donald Rouse, Tim and Big Mike talking about boiling and barbecuing like they were sacred rituals. Which, of course, they are. There was a line in the commercial that always gets a laugh: “We know what you like to eat — and how much you eat.” No shame — we’ve all got healthy appetites around here. For other commercials, we’ve gone out in the fields and down on the water, filming the folks who grow and catch the food we sell. Food doesn’t have to travel far to get to Rouses. As Donald Rouse said in one spot, “This okra was picked this morning, and it’s in our stores this afternoon.” When I’m in the stores today, I often see a farmer walk in with that day’s picks, still warm from the field. Fresh, local ingredients are one reason our stores have always attracted foodies.

Chefs, cooks, music, football, food, festivals — we’ve always celebrated local in our commercials and in this magazine, because local isn’t just where we’re from. It’s who we are. You can put olive salad on a ham sandwich, but that doesn’t make it a muffaletta. You’re either local, or you’re not.

where the chefs shop

bayou boys

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Photos by Romney Caruso

cookin' on hwy. 1 with Tim Acosta, Rouses Markets Advertising & Marketing Director; interview by Ann Maloney Tim Acosta thinks of arroz con pollo as the well-traveled cousin of jambalaya. The recipe — which some sources trace back to Africa — is a classic comfort food in Spain; in many Latin countries, including Cuba, Puerto Rico and Panama; and throughout the Caribbean. “Just like down here in South Louisiana, rice is popular everywhere,” said Tim Acosta, Advertising & Marketing Director. And just as jambalaya styles vary — think red vs. brown — so do the ways of making arroz con pollo. The dish changes from country to country and house to house, with home cooks putting their own spin on it. And that’s exactly what Tim has done — taken a classic and made it his own. He and his wife, Cindy, have traveled to Spain several times — his ancestors hail from Spain, by way of the Canary Islands, and eventually South Louisiana. But it was during their first trip there as a family that they all tasted paella for the first time — a dish Tim later mastered and now makes for big family gatherings and celebrations. At home, though, he wanted something simpler and quicker to cook for just him and Cindy. So he explored different arroz con pollo recipes and adapted them to suit their tastes. “Arroz con pollo has a lot of the flavors of paella,” Tim said, noting that he uses

CHRIS, TIM & NICK ACOSTA

Goya Adobo All-Purpose Seasoning and a Latin American spice blend called sazón . Sazón is the principal seasoning — and source of color — for dishes like arroz con pollo and arroz amarillo (yellow rice). There is a saffron version that brings a more delicate, floral note, for paella-style rice or seafood dishes. Tim uses both. To make the dish, he seasons boneless chicken thighs — rather than the traditional bone-in pieces — with salt, pepper, adobo and oregano, and puts them aside. Then he pulls out his 12-inch cast-iron skillet and browns the sausage in a little bit of olive oil (traditional arroz con pollo does not use sausage, but Tim does). He removes the sausage. Then he adds the chicken thighs. While those are browning, he chops a sofrito of cilantro, onions, red bell pepper, garlic and a green jalapeño “to kick it up a little bit.” (Think of a sofrito as the Latin cousin of our trinity.) He removes the chicken from the pot, and cooks the sofrito until it is tender. He adds Rouses Diced Tomatoes with Chiles and lets that simmer together. Then he returns the sausage and chicken to the pan and adds the sazón and jasmine rice, which he stirs and cooks for a few minutes. Then he adds the chicken stock & peas and lets it come to a simmer; he then covers the skillet and lets it cook until the rice is tender and much of the liquid is absorbed (usually 20-25 minutes).

Some folks like to add olives but, when it is done cooking, Tim prefers to add a squeeze of fresh lime and a sprinkle of cilantro leaves. The leftovers are ideal for quick weeknight meals. Refrigerate them in a heatproof container with a lid and you can easily reheat the dish in a 350°F oven (let glass and ceramic containers come down to room temperature before placing in a hot oven). Bonus: Want to make your own sazón? You can get close using spices Growing up, no matter whose house you were in, there was always something on the stove. That’s how it is for my family, and I think it’s that way for a lot of families.” — Nick Acosta, Director of Business Analytics for Rouses Markets, 3rd Generation “My mom and dad are both great cooks. Mom makes a lot of Italian dishes, like her dad did — lately she’s been making pesto with basil from the garden. Dad’s always cooking outside, grilling or boiling something. Granny and Pa-Pa Acosta are both great cooks, too. Pa — Mr. Rouse — made the best spaghetti.

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Photo by Romney Caruso

it wasn’t until he began experimenting with various ingredients and season ings that he made his own very different version. In a large cast-iron dutch oven, he browns chicken seasoned with Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning. He removes the chicken and browns chopped Boston butt pork in the same pot. “I find pork gets tough, so after I brown it, I put some water in there and boil the pork for about 20 minutes until there is just a little water left,” he said. Finally, he adds sliced smoked sausage to the pot to brown. Then in go the onions, bell peppers, celery and garlic, which are cooked until soft. So far, sounds like classic jambalaya, right? But it is here that Nick starts to take his own path. He adds a can of diced

you likely have on hand. In a small bowl, combine ½ tablespoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin and ground turmeric; 1 tablespoon each of fine salt and sweet paprika (or ground achiote powder, if you have it); and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper. Mix well and store in an airtight container where you keep your other spices. NICK ACOSTA’S PASTALAYA When some folks make pastalaya (a popular take on jambalaya where pasta is substituted for the rice), they typically follow the traditional recipe for the classic Cajun dish — but not Nick, Director of Business Analytics for Rouses Markets. “I’ve eaten other versions of it over the years, and I like the flavor. The pasta soaks up a lot of the flavor,” Nick said, but

“My dad makes his jambalaya with the rice he boiled to go with gumbos, stews and gravy — it’s a great way to use leftover rice. I use parboiled rice that cooks right in the pot with everything else. It’s a trick to keep the rice from getting mushy if you’re keeping the jambalaya on the stove for a while. And now Nick is using pasta. We all cook a little differently; it’s the same tradition, but we each added our own touches.” — Tim Acosta, Rouses Markets Advertising & Marketing Director

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adds the chicken in a single layer. He allows the pieces to brown, flipping and turning them until they reach a deep, rich color. “I cook them through and through,” he said. He removes the chicken, drains most of the accumulated fat and puts the pan back over a low heat. He adds four cloves of chopped garlic and cooks it, stirring until it is fragrant. While Chris cooks the protein and garlic, his wife Gloria whisks together a mixture of soy sauce, chicken stock, honey and white vinegar. Chris returns the chicken to the pan with the sauce and cooks it, turning the pieces to coat them well. He then adds a touch more soy sauce and honey, and turns the chicken a few more times. He serves the chicken over rice with the pan sauce, often with roasted carrots on the side. If he makes the dish on a Sunday, he sometimes makes multiple batches to create leftovers to eat throughout the week. “It’s our own family’s version of comfort food,” Chris said, noting that they enjoy it at least once a month. “It doesn’t matter the weather or the time of year. And, when chicken thighs are on sale, it comes out cheap. “Our two-year-old daughter, I’m happy to report, eats the chicken as well. Anytime we get something that she eats, we’re blessed.” WHAT YOU WILL NEED : For the chicken: 2 tablespoons Rouses authentic Italian Olive Oil, divided 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces 1 (14-ounce) package smoked sausage, cut into bite-size pieces 1 tablespoon adobo seasoning 1 teaspoon dried oregano Pinch salt Pinch freshly ground black pepper TIM ACOSTA'S ARROZ CON POLLO Serves 4

For the sofrito and rice: 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 jalapeño, diced ¼ cup finely diced red bell pepper ¼ cup finely diced white onion ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro, plus more for serving 1 (14.5-ounce) can of Rouses Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles 1 packet Goya Sazón with Azafran 1 packet Goya Sazón with Coriander and Annatto 1 cup Rouses Jasmine Rice, uncooked 1¼ cups Kitchen Basics Chicken Stock ²⁄₃ cup frozen peas Lime wedges, for serving tablespoon olive oil, the adobo seasoning and the dried oregano. Use clean hands to toss the chicken in the mixture. Cover and allow chicken to marinate for 30 minutes. Next, add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large cast-iron skillet and place over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add the sausage and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and transfer to a plate. Add in chicken and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until browned, around 4-5 minutes, then flip and cook an additional 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan and transfer to a plate. In the same skillet (it should be greased enough already for sautéing) make the sofrito by combining garlic, jalapeño, red bell pepper, onion and cilantro. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, then add in the diced tomatoes with chiles, the sausage and chicken, and the Goya Sazón seasoning packets. Next, fold in the rice. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, then add the chicken stock and stir well to combine. Bring to a simmer, taste and add extra seasoning if preferred, then layer the peas on top, making sure they’re evenly distributed. Cover the skillet and cook for 20-25 minutes on low. After 20-25 minutes, most of the liquid should be absorbed and rice should be fully cooked. Turn off the heat and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with cilantro and serve with a squeeze of fresh lime juice. HOW TO PREP : Place chicken in a large bowl. Add 1

tomatoes and chopped green chiles, bay leaf, basil and dried parsley flakes. Then the chicken goes back in along with beef stock, cream of mushroom soup, Worces tershire sauce and A.1. Steak Sauce. He brings the whole mixture to a boil, then lowers the heat and drops in penne pasta. “It’s going to look like a big gumbo, almost,” Nick said. “You cook your pasta in all of that liquid, and it takes on the flavor.” He cooks it until the pasta is soft and most of the liquid is absorbed. Then, he likes to let it rest for 10 minutes or so before serving it. “My family loves it,” he said. “It’s probably their favorite thing I cook.” This garlicky chicken served over rice is in the regular rotation at Chris Acosta’s house. “It’s HGC for short in my household,” said Chris, Director of Grocery for Rouses Markets. “My wife calls it that. She’ll text me: ‘What’s for dinner tonight? HGC!’ It’s her favorite dish.” Chris starts with boneless chicken thighs spread on a sheet pan. He seasons them on both sides with Rouses Granu lated Garlic, salt and pepper, and lets them sit for about 20 minutes to take the chill off. Then he adds a generous amount of oil to his enameled cast-iron braiser and CHRIS ACOSTA’S HONEY-GARLIC CHICKEN

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NICK ACOSTA’S PASTALAYA Serves 12-15 WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 tablespoons Rouses Creole Seasoning, or more to taste 1½ pounds Rouses Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces 1½ pounds boneless Boston butt, cut into ½-inch cubes 1½ pounds smoked sausage, cut into ½-inch rounds 1½ pounds medium onions, finely chopped 4 stalks celery, finely diced 2 small green bell peppers, finely diced 3 tablespoons Rouses Minced Garlic 1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped ½ cup Rouses Dried Parsley Flakes 3 bay leaves Dash of Rouses Hot Sauce, or more to taste 1 10-ounce can Rotel Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies 4 cups of beef stock, plus ½ cup of water 1 Family Size 22.6-ounce can Campbells Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup Dash of Rouses Ground Black Pepper Dash of Rouses Cayenne Pepper 2 tablespoons Rouses Garlic Powder 2 tablespoons Rouses Worcestershire Sauce 2 tablespoons Rouses Steak Sauce 1½ pounds uncooked Rouses Penne or Farfalle Bow Tie pasta 1 bunch chopped green onions HOW TO PREP: Season the boneless chicken thighs with Creole seasoning. Heat the oil till shimmering in a large, heavy-bottomed pot; add seasoned chicken and brown it, then remove from pot and set aside. Brown the pork butt next, then add enough water to the pot to cover the pork by 1 inch. Bring the mixture to a boil and let boil (about 30 minutes), until most of the water is reduced. Once the water is reduced, add the sliced sausage to the pot and brown for about 10 minutes over medium heat; stir constantly to prevent the sausage from sticking. Next add onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic, basil, parsley flakes, bay leaves and hot sauce to the pot, and stir to combine. Add can of tomatoes & chilies, and stir.

Let mixture cook over medium heat; stir frequently to prevent sticking. (The vegetables will help create extra liquid.) When vegetables are wilted and cooked thoroughly, add the 4 cups of beef stock, the ½ cup of water and cream of mushroom soup to the pot. Return chicken to the pot. Next, season mixture with black and cayenne peppers, garlic powder, Worcestershire, steak sauce and additional Creole seasoning, if desired for spicier flavor. Stir to combine. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the mixture and stir well. When all the pasta has softened and most of the water has been absorbed, lower heat to medium-low and add the green onions. Stir carefully; place lid on pot for 3 minutes. Lift the lid; stir well, then replace the lid. Lower heat to low and cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Turn the heat off but do not remove the lid; let sit, covered, for 30 minutes. After this, the pastalaya is ready to enjoy. CHRIS ACOSTA’S HONEY-GARLIC CHICKEN Serves 8 WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 8 boneless chicken thighs, skin-on or skinless Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed ½ medium onion, finely chopped 1 head garlic (10-12 cloves), chopped 1 cup honey ½ cup soy sauce 1 pinch onion powder, or to taste 1 pinch garlic powder, or to taste ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley HOW TO PREP: Season chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned on one side, about 3-5 minutes. Flip chicken and add chopped onion and garlic. Continue cooking until chicken is mostly cooked through and the vegetables are softened, about 5-7 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a plate. Add honey, soy sauce, onion powder, and garlic powder to the skillet. Stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Return chicken to the skillet. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until chicken is fully cooked through, and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes, turning chicken once halfway through. An instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken should read 165°F. Arrange chicken on a serving platter and drizzle with sauce from the pan. Garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley and serve.

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GROWING UP IN THE GROCERY BUSINESS

When I was 15, I begged to work in the store with people my own age. My dad warned me that this meant more responsibility — and wearing a uniform (back then, black jeans and a teal shirt with pink writing — so stylish), commit ting to being on time, working my shifts and learning the ropes like everyone else. So many people’s first jobs are at Rouses, and I was proud to finally be one of them. I worked at Store #5 on Audubon as a cashier; my manager, Mr. Bert Knight, was tough. I was once given a warning for trading a nickel for five pennies to make change — I was flabbergasted until he explained that my back was to my open till, with all the money just right there. Over 25 years later, that moment is still etched in my brain. Bert rejoined our team a few years ago, and I doubt he remembers any of this — but I know his cashiers down the bayou in Golden Meadow are some of the best around. I worked the front end for many summers and school breaks during by Ali Rouse Royster I don’t remember exactly when my dad started bringing me to his office, but I know I was younger than the law would have technically allowed. (Don’t come at him! I’m fine. We still talk 10 times a day.) I’m fairly certain I was at least in double digits. I would tag along during my school breaks and a few days a week during the summer — maybe just to get me out of my mom’s hair.

who’d make them bring in the buggies while he made his rounds. When they were old enough, they started working in the stores — Nick in the butcher shop (where Donny also did a stint), Chris in the service and cashier area, and Blake in seafood. At one point, so many cousins were working in seafood at Store #16 in Thibodaux, the whole department was practically third generation — it felt like a family reunion behind the counter. Sometimes, when we are all in the office, it can still feel like a family reunion!

high school, and eventually trained as a customer service specialist and an office cashier. When I went off to LSU, I thought I’d finally get a break from work. But when my dad saw I’d scheduled all my classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, he pointed out that with all that free time, I could come home to work (before there was a Rouses in Baton Rouge). Eventually, we compromised: I stayed in Baton Rouge, had my fun, and found a job at a Hibernia Bank branch. For the rest of college, I had to keep taking classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays so I could work Monday, Wednesday and Friday. But working at the bank gave me experience I didn’t even realize I’d use later. It all worked out; I’m still on the financial side of the business. Like me, my siblings and cousins worked in the stores and at the office when we were younger. My cousins Nick and Chris Acosta and Blake Richard used to tag along with my grandfather,

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s On Your 65 Years! Congratulations

14 ROUSES SUMMER 2025 • WWW.ROUSES.COM A FAMILY PARTNERSHIP WITH MANY YEARS TO COME!

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We’re As Passionate About Food As You Are

by David W. Brown When Donald Rouse was a boy, every weekend and every day after school, he worked at the grocery store owned by his father. “I basically grew up there,” he told me, in his soft Houma accent. His father, Anthony, and uncle, Ciro DiMarco, opened the very first Rouses location in Houma in 1960 — 65 years ago this year. “It was our first store, a little small one, 7,000 square feet, and I just remember being with my dad, listening to him, serving customers.” (For comparison, today, a newly built Rouses might be 50,000 or even 60,000 square feet.)

Photo by Frank Aymami

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I t made for an interesting and in some ways exciting childhood. He bagged groceries. He carried bags to customers’ cars. He mopped floors at the end of the day, and bagged chicken that came in on ice and potatoes that came by the sack. “I was kind of like the neighbor hood kid, but in a grocery store,” Donald recalled. “Just being able to be on the floor at the store all the time, and mingling with the customers, really getting to know them and our team members. They all knew me, and I knew all of them. I enjoyed that very much.” His father used to take him to other grocery stores near and far, to see how Rouses could somehow improve. “Any time we traveled along the Gulf Coast, we would visit Bruno’s, Schwegmann’s, Winn-Dixie — all of them,”

said Donald. He and his father would walk up and down the aisles and talk about what they were seeing. “Look, some places like Bruno’s in Alabama were really good at what they did,” he said. “I was young, walking around the store, looking around with my dad, thinking to myself, ‘This is the kind of store I want to operate one day.’” Those experiences shaped Donald, and gave him a vision for what he wanted Rouses to be if he ever had a chance to run it — which he did, beginning in the 1980s. “I wanted Rouses to be known as one of the best grocery stores in the country, and to be mentioned with the likes of H-E-B and Publix and Wegmans,” he said. “To me, if you’re known like that — known for being a great operator — that means you’re “My grandfather loved everything he did. When we had construction going on, he wanted to be on that bulldozer. When he had family over to the house, he wanted to do the cooking. Walking in the stores, if the stocker was putting groceries on the shelf, he wanted to put groceries on the shelf. He loved being around people and he loved having his hands on everything.” —Donny Rouse, CEO, 3rd Generation

really delivering a great experience to your customers, and that’s really what it’s all about.” He devoted his career to that goal and, today, feels proud of where Rouses stands in the grocery industry and in local communities. Donald was the second-generation CEO of the company. He retired from that role in 2016, but remains chairman. Today, his son, Donny, is the head of Rouses Markets. “I’m so fortunate that I have an opportunity to see Ali and the entire third generation working so hard, and to see them accomplish more than me — to actually do better than what my brother Tommy and I did.” Things in the grocery business have changed dramati cally over the years, and Rouses now has 66 stores in three states along the Gulf Coast. “To see them operating at a higher level and accomplishing more than what I did — it’s just so overwhelming, and something I’m very proud of.” Donald speaks with his son at least once a day. He remains interested in operations and

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since Donald worked at that lone Rouses location in Houma have been astounding. In the old days, you did everything by hand, from labeling prices on products to tracking store inventory. The only way to know the prices of competitors — to make sure Rouses was more competitive than anyone else in the market — was to physically go to all the other stores in the area and compare pricing. Today, however, Rouses Markets is able to process complex analytics to keep tabs on what customers want, and when, or where on shelves they want them. All the data now available means better prices and better service for Rouses customers. “The way that we go to market is not by making what I used to call a gut decision,” Donald told me. “We don’t make gut decisions anymore. We make our decisions based on facts, and it’s made all the differ ence for our customers.” From the beginning, the Rouses mission was and still is “…to operate clean stores at competitive prices, taking care of our communities we’re serving, taking care of our team members that help us get where we are, and never forgetting where we came from.” Being local, he explained, is everything, and “community” is the company’s North Star. “Back in my time running a store, I remember that local farmers would come to me with produce,” he said. “I remember getting to know them so well. They would come in and make their deal, okra or green beans or corn, maybe local meats or seafood — and we’d buy and sell for them. And I just

As chairman, however, Donald is concerned chiefly with customer service. “I enjoy doing this and have since I started as a boy. I love the business and I love serving people. I get very disappointed when I disappoint someone, and my team knows that, my family knows that,” he said. Similarly, it bothers him whenever he learns that a store has let down a customer. “Customers don’t realize, I think, how much their business means to me and how much it disappoints me if, or when, we disappoint them.” When you have a million customers a week coming through your store, you’re bound to disap point somebody, he admitted, but he’ll still obsess over that one. “When someone is disappointed in Rouses, it becomes my top priority. I want to know what happened, why, and what we did to rectify it. I guess that’s part of enjoying the business: having that deep interest in each and every customer and each and every team member.” While he’s not in the stores every day like he used to be, he still reads every email sent by store guests. “I expect the good things; that’s what we’re supposed to do. I don’t ever want an unhappy customer,” he says. So if a customer ever has a question or concern, he’s quick to let the team know. Though we all visit grocery stores a couple of times a week, they still remain somewhat mysterious. Every Rouses location is a complex logistical operation with many moving parts. Stores face constant new challenges that come about as technolo gies and communities evolve. The changes

is happy to offer advice when it’s needed. “My dad did that for me and my brother, but just like my father was with us, I try to stay out of day-to-day operations. That’s for Donny to handle, and he’s very capable. He’s been running things for quite a few years now.” Donald feels the same way about Ali Rouse Royster, another third-generation owner of the company, as well as the other members of the Rouse family keeping the stores going and their teammates. “I’m fully interested in results, and in the big projects that they want to pursue. They’ll get my opinion,” he said with a laugh.

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remember that for some of them, that was probably their income. Knowing that we’re contributing to better the community is big to me. Very big.” Contributing to the community hasn’t changed, but the way it looks has, in some ways. It’s not just buying local seafood and other products. Donald has watched Donny pioneer new ways to help local startups get on their feet and build their brands to get them ready for Rouses store shelves. It’s a lot harder than you might think. “You can have a great product — and a lot of people do — and they deserve to be on the shelf. But having a great product is just the beginning. There are so many steps along the way, from design to production and branding, that you have to go through. Rouses works really hard to help walk young, local companies through each step. Seeing these local startups thrive is pretty amazing. I mean, it’s really cool.” Being part of the local community means big things and small, and Rouses is always looking for new ways to give back. “I’m always interested in being part of the communities that we serve,” he said. “We always have been. It’s just such an important part of what we stand for as a company.” He was recently at a ballgame with his grandson and, while watching from the stands, he realized that all the players were wearing shirts with “Rouses Markets” printed on them. “Rouses supplied their shirts!” he said. “Those little things, they’re everywhere. I was looking at the TV the other day, and I saw on the news a story about local food

banks. And I see Rouses products on the shelves at the food bank. I was so proud.” In the bad times, he said, Rouses contributes to the community in other ways. “We are last to close before hurricanes hit, and first to open when they leave. We are always there for the community with trucks of ice and trucks of water, and giving it all away — that’s a good feeling.” More than a few big national chains have noticed the success of Rouses Markets and what it means to the communities it serves. “There have been numerous times in the past that companies have come along and wanted to buy Rouses,” said Donald. “Of course, I always reject their offers. We’re not interested in selling — we’re interested in growing.” One time, someone from a partic ularly large national chain approached him and asked him point-blank if he wanted to

sell Rouses. “I said, ‘No — but how about you? Do you want to sell?’ I guess I was feeling cocky, but they weren’t happy about that!” Being a local company is the competi tive edge that Rouses has over such big companies. “We can be quick to respond to our national competition. We can turn on a dime, where it takes them months to get a decision from some corporate office. We can make a decision today to change whatever we want to change in our business. We don’t have to ask anyone. We don’t have to ask the bank. We just make a decision ourselves. And that is a big, big opportunity that [larger] chains don’t have. And we never want to lose that,” he said. He’s watched as chains have come along and grown, what they did and how they responded to changes. Giant companies have tried

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“If only my dad could see the work Donny and his cousin’s are doing, and how far we’ve come as a company,” said Donald. “He would be so proud to see the business doing so well, and continuing our mission. It’s my greatest joy to be able to be here, and see the third generation be more successful than Tommy and I were in our time in the day-to-day operations. To watch them find these amazing opportunities to get better, and to watch them perform: It just makes me very proud.”

Donald’s grandfather, J.P. Rouse, was an Italian immigrant who scraped together enough money to start a little business in Thibodaux called City Produce Company. They bought things like shallots and cabbages and potatoes from local farmers, and packed them in his old truck. He sold some products at the French Market, and eventually got large enough to get into the shipping business, packing produce on railcars and shipping goods to other parts of the country. It’s where Anthony and Ciro learned the trade before founding Rouses.

their hardest to take over local markets, but Rouses is stronger than it’s ever been, even after 65 years. “And look,” he said, “I’ve seen them come and go. We competed with A&P, with National, with Delchamps, with Piggly Wiggly, with numerous ones that are no longer here today.” Donald sees a future where his grandsons and granddaughters will be running the business, along with other family members. He envisions Rouses having a hundred stores in the not-too-distant future, and he hopes that his descendants running the business are never satisfied. “I mean, never,” he said. “Not everyone understands that. Every day, we should operate like we’ve just opened our very first store for the very first time, and we have no customers,” he said. “You have to work every day — hard — to gain customers. You can’t depend that they’ll come tomorrow, so you have to work hard to earn their trust and loyalty. And you do the same thing the next day, and the next day: work hard to gain those customers, gain their business, and most importantly, you must appreciate their business.” Rouses Markets will always be successful, Donald said, as long as it does what’s best for the customers. “When you do what’s best for the customers, that means you’re doing what’s best for the business as well.” The same goes for Rouses team members: Do what’s best for them, because you can’t do it alone. He’s also very proud that Rouses hasn’t forgotten about the older stores it runs, nor the customers who’ve been there from the beginning. “We’re building stores across the Gulf Coast now, but we’re also replacing and remodeling our older stores. We can’t forget our mission, and we can’t forget our roots: where we started, and who we are.” Back when Rouses was a single store, maybe two, his father, Anthony, would marvel at their success. “Boy, if my dad could see what we’ve got going on now, the operation that we have!” he declared.

Sazarac Company William "Bill" Goldring is the Chairman of his family's beverage alcohol business, the Sazerac Company – one of New Orleans' oldest and most successful family businesses. He says, "Donald Rouse and I share common passions for family and for our work. Our fathers, though in different industries, taught us the same thing: to be successful takes hard work, a clear path, and remembering to have fun.”

GENERATIONS OF QUALITY “Working alongside parents, siblings, and cousins sets multi-generation, family-owned businesses like ours apart. There’s a sense of tradition and responsibility for carrying the family legacy forward.” — Donny Rouse, CEO, 3rd Generation

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you’re either local or you’re not

by David W. Brown Donny Rouse was around 10 years old when he started his career at Rouses Markets. “I would bring grocery carts in from the parking lot and return them to the store for customers to use,” he told me. It was a big deal in his family, a rite of passage. “It meant we were old enough to help.” That first summer, he and his cousin worked a couple days a week, three hours a day. “We knew we weren’t old enough to really do much, but it was pretty exciting to get our feet wet and try a few different things. We were so excited just to be included.” N ot that it was his first glimpse behind the scenes of the grocery business. He grew up in a house across the street from the Thibodaux location, where his dad, Donald, ran the company — which means, really, that he grew up in the stores. Every day after school, he’d drag his backpack to Rouses and plop down on the sofa in his dad’s office. Maybe he’d do his homework, but maybe he would just listen to his father, uncle and grandfather talk about business (which was its own kind of education). “I learned something every day,” said Donny. The main thing he learned, which

Anyone who’s ever grown up in a family business knows that the lessons of life and the lessons of work become intertwined. It’s not that work is life; it’s just that the two in some way become inseparable in childhood memories. Donny’s grandfather shaped his work ethic. “He showed up to work every day in his overalls and hat — I can still see it in my head — and he did everything from working operations to doing electrical and plumbing and contracting. Nothing was beneath him, nothing.” You were as likely to see him on a bulldozer as you were to see him stocking a shelf. “His mindset was: if I can do it, let me just go ahead and do it. You know, that stayed with me. To this day, if something needs to be done, I do my best to take care of it, and I think of him.” Meanwhile, he watched his dad work, and man , you didn’t do that and not learn to be passionate. “That man has so much pride in the business. You’ve never seen a man enjoy his job more than my dad. You know, when he was still working, he could tell you

still guides his work as the third-generation CEO of Rouses Markets, is to take care of the customers. “You’ve got to provide good customer service. You want to keep the customer happy.” Not long after learning to corral the parking lot carts, Donny’s dad let him work in the meat department, bagging chickens. It was messy work, but that was okay with Donny, because it was work , which — especially to a kid his age — was exciting in its own way. Later, it was a pretty big deal when he was finally allowed to help bag groceries. “You had to learn how to do it, and do it properly,” Donny said. At the time, a Rouses employee had been named Best Bagger in the Country in a contest held by the National Grocers Association, which added a competitive, almost glamorous aspect to the job, especially for a boy just beginning to learn the ropes. “We only had paper bags back in those days and it was pretty exciting. Man, you just wanted to get it right. It was an art.”

WE’RE LOYAL TO LOCAL Since 1960, we’ve worked with local farmers, fishers, brands, and makers across the Gulf Coast. That’s loyal to local and it’s how we’ve always done business.

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and to thrive in their careers — not just jobs, but careers .” After being hired, each new team member is paired with a current team member for several days to learn the ins and outs of Rouses, go through team orientations, and learn the day-to-day job requirements. “We also created a program called Rouses University for our team members,” he explained. “For instance, if you’re working in the bakery department, we have online courses to help you understand that job better, and there are different levels of courses. As your career at Rouses advances, you have the opportunity to learn more things about the bakery (or whatever department you’re in or want to be in), and study up so that you’re more knowledgeable. That way, when the time comes for you to get that promotion — to become assistant department manager, say, or even department manager, or move into different departments or any level of management you aspire to — we help make sure you’re ready and equipped for success.” It’s not just the employees casting Best Of “Local companies provide things that national companies can never offer. The families who run companies like Community Coffee or Camellia Beans or what have you — these are fourth- and fifth generation companies. They know their businesses because they live them, and know their communities because they live here. Rouses is the same way. We all operate true to how and where we started. If you lose that, you can lose it all.” —Donny Rouse, CEO, 3rd Generation

lot of hours. But she was running her own business at the time we met, so she under stood what it means to run a family business, and the hours it takes to be successful. But we talked a lot about it, and still do. We have to continue working hard, long hours, you name it, to continue to be successful in our business, of course, but also successful in providing our customers with the best products and services we can find.” He feels a particular urgency to get things right, because any multi-generational business can falter the further you get from the day it was founded. “You know, everyone says the third generation is the one that’s going to mess up the family business,” Donny said. “And certainly, many people have told me that over the years! But that’s not an option for me. We’re not going to fail. We’re going to be successful and continue thriving as a company. I feel that way, and so do my cousins in the business, my dad, the whole family: We feel that way because we’re doing the work, building the careers, raising up team members, adapting to conditions whenever they arise but most of all, keeping the customer and the community front and center. We’re going to be a successful company for a long time.” Those team members are the lifeblood of Rouses. “Without our team, we couldn’t be successful,” he told me. “We have 7,000 team members who count on me to make the right decisions to grow the company and keep moving it forward. So I need to make sure that we’re taking care of them. Our team members are constantly voting us Best Place to Work in the United States, and that is a very proud achievement for the company, one that we value highly.” Rouses Markets spends a lot of time helping team members cultivate careers rather than just holding the same jobs indefinitely. “We want to make sure we give our team members the right training that they need to be happy

the retail price and cost for every single item in a grocery store. And, even more important, he always wanted our team members and customers to be happy.” Donny also learned from his dad to move quickly, and make hard decisions. “It’s not always the right decision, but you need to make it and move forward. If you get it wrong, you can change your mind and adjust course. But you need to keep moving forward.” That, he said, is one of the big advantages that family-owned stores like Rouses Markets have over the big national chains — and that directly benefits the customers. “We have to be nimble. A lot of these giant grocery chains that come into our communities, they have so many people that have to approve a process or approve a change, that it takes them months to make decisions and do the right thing.” Rouses, being family owned, doesn’t have that bureaucracy. “We can make the calls that help the customer, and we can do it quickly. We always do what we think is the right thing — but if we’re wrong, we’re fast to admit it, and we’ll fix it.” A lifetime in the business has allowed Donny to develop a certain intuition, which definitely helps guide his decisions. Another thing that people who’ve grown up in a family business know is it takes a lot of hours; even when you’re not in the office, your mind might still be working on some problem affecting some aspect of the family business — in Donny’s case, any one of the 66 Rouses stores across the Gulf South. I asked him if his wife, Kara, had any idea what she was getting herself into when they started dating. “Yeah,” Donny laughed, “the job takes a

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