Our First Woman in Grocery By Ali Rouse Royster, 3rd Generation
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e talk a lot about my grandfather, Anthony J. Rouse, who grew up working in his fatherâs wholesale produce business and who founded our company in 1960. But he could not have done it without the support of my grandmother, Joyce Guillory Rouse, who undoubtedly took on the lionâs share of the heavy lifting at home while still helping out wherever and whenever she could with the store.
Our first grocery store was in Houma, Louisiana. Then my grandfather built our first supermarket in 1975 on the lot right in front of my grandparentsâ house in Thibodaux. My dad, aunts and uncles remember working in the small office upstairs. When it was time for lunch, they would all walk over to the âRouse House.â Granny would have chicken stew, or roast with rice and gravy, or some equally delicious homestyle meal simmering on the stove for them. When Pa had âgrocery peopleâ in from Baton Rouge, thatâs where he took them for lunch. âWeâd walk over from next door, and theyâd be sitting around the table, talking and eating, and having a grand old time,â my Uncle Tim remembers. âOne of his associates from Baton Rouge said it was better than any restaurant and, you know, it really was.â
