Acadiana Business

Rouses expands stores and concepts in Lafayette

by Walter Pierce

Shoppers familiar with Louisiana-based Rouses Market might be surprised when they walk into the new third location set to open at the corner of Johnston Street and Duhon Road south the Acadiana Mall on Wednesday.

Photo by Travis Gauthier

Shoppers familiar with Louisiana-based Rouses Market might be surprised when they walk into the new third location set to open at the corner of Johnston Street and Duhon Road south the Acadiana Mall on Wednesday.

Much will be familiar in the chain's devotion to locally sourced seafood and produce as well as products made here in Acadiana, but the company says this new store expands on successful concepts. The grocer is going on hyper-drive when it comes to ready-to-eat food choices with a sushi bar and Mongolian grill as well as expanded café options that include breakfast, lunch and dinner.

"We grow our own fresh basil, parsley and thyme in aeroponic towers on the store's balcony," says Managing Partner Donny Rouse in a press release touting the new location. "At our mise en place station, our cooks slice-and-dice fresh vegetables all day long. Customers can buy only what they need to make a meal."

Adds Rouse: "We changed more than the architecture. We changed the customer-team member experience and made it more interactive. This concept is all about sharing what we do and what we make directly with our customers. You can see and talk to our butchers, bakers, florists and chefs and cooks while they work."