Take a bag of red beans home the next time you visit New Orleans.
Key Points
- Gulf Coast grocery chain Rouses Markets has established a strong presence in Louisiana since its founding in 1960.
- This supermarket offers Cajun and Creole specialties, including tasso ham, andouille sausage, king cakes, beignet mix, Camellia red beans, and more.
- Local chefs say that Rouses offers a unique sense of place through its selection of local favorites.
It’s easy for visitors to New Orleans to stumble across Rouses Markets. With a location smack-dab in the middle of the French Quarter, the regional grocery chain offers a lifeline to Bourbon Street revelers recovering from one too many Hurricanes and to music lovers who need an easy bite between sets during the French Quarter Festival. But this supermarket is so much more than a convenient stop.
“Rouses isn’t just a grocery store; it’s a vital connection to the culture of Louisiana,” says Chris Montero, executive chef of New Orleans’ Napoleon House, part of the Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group. “Rouses sets itself apart from the larger, national chain grocery stores by not only honoring Louisiana’s culinary traditions but also helping shoppers learn who is behind those customs — the families and people, from generational farmers to local companies.”
From local grocer to regional powerhouse
Rouses was founded in Houma, Louisiana, in 1960 by Anthony J. Rouse Senior. By 1999, it was the largest independent grocer in Louisiana. Today, the company is one of the biggest independent grocery chains in the country, with dozens of locations throughout Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.
The chain is run by third-generation owner Donny Rouse and is in the process of transitioning 10 new stores it acquired from competitor Winn-Dixie, which has pulled back to focus on its Florida business…