For Donny Rouse, president and CEO of Rouses Markets, the story of the company’s past and its vision for the future always come back to family, community and the Gulf Coast culture that shaped them both.
“It first starts with my grandfather and his passion and energy for the business and willing to do anything that the business needed to succeed,” Rouse said. “And then, back in 2007 when we had that A&P acquisition in the New Orleans market … that really made us ready for our future growth.”
The deal doubled the company’s size at the time, giving Rouses both the momentum and the clarity to lean into its strengths.
“We really stepped back and thought about it and planned it,” he said. “Really understood who we were, how we were successful, being local and with our pricing structure, and that kind of set the roadmap for helping us be successful years later.”
Remaining true to its roots
As the grocery industry adopts more technology and more chains chase efficiency through sameness, Rouses leans into a simpler formula.
“We just do our own thing,” Rouse said. “We sell groceries. We fight for the best cost and give our customers the best price … we’re still old school with us just putting groceries on the shelves, having clean stores, great customer service and low prices.”
Being family owned, he said, allows the company to move quickly and stay grounded in its values.
“Family knows each other. Family trusts each other,” he said. “We don’t have a big board of directors we have to go in front of to make decisions and such. I can make any decision that I want, and I know I’ll have the family’s support behind it.”
That responsibility, he added, is deeply personal. “It’s our business. It’s not Wall Street’s business … My name’s on the front of the buildings. It’s all I’ve ever known.”
Deep local ties
Local sourcing remains one of the company’s strongest identities – particularly its commitment to Gulf seafood and regional products.
“It’s important to the culture of the communities that we’re in,” Rouse said.
His family’s roots in farming shaped this focus.
“Seeing how my grandfather, my father, worked with the farmers to make sure they were successful … Over the years, we went to the fishermen and had the same confidence in the fishermen to give us that quality seafood.”
The goal, he said, is simple: “We want those fishermen to be successful.”
That spirit extends to emerging local brands, too.
“Many people have the dreams and the concepts and ideas of what they want to do, but they don’t know how to scale it,” he said. Rouses helps guide them into packaging, licensing and distribution so “they can get their items on our shelves.”
Scaling up while staying grounded
From a handful of stores to becoming the Gulf Coast’s No. 1 grocer with 76 locations, Rouse said lessons have been learned along the way.
“Don’t mess up,” he said with a laugh. “The bigger you grow, the more customers you have, the more team members you have, more product you’re selling – there’s a lot more moving pieces in the business … It’s a big deal, and a lot of people count on us.”
Rouse added that he likes to make decisions quickly. “If it’s the wrong decision, well, I’ll change course, and we’ll fix it real quick.”
Variety, especially local variety, is another non-negotiable.
“We don’t want to be like the next big supermarket chain out there and have limited assortment,” Rouse said. “We want variety for our customers.”
Transformational acquisition
The company’s latest chapter – the acquisition of 10 Winn-Dixie locations – marks what Rouse calls a pivotal moment.
“This Winn-Dixie acquisition, I think, is extremely important to our company,” he said. “They have some great locations where we could not have [gone] and built in those same locations … we’re in two new markets with these stores, and it’s strong for our company.”
He is energized by the transition ahead. “I really can’t wait ‘til January comes and we start transitioning these stores over to Rouses and welcoming new team members into our company,” he said. “It’s going to be great.”
Rouse said longtime Winn-Dixie employees can expect stability and support.
“They come into a family-owned company,” he said. “They’re going to enjoy the job, just like they are today.”
Customers, community at center
As Rouses grows, customer enthusiasm has been evident. “We see that through social media. We see that through emails that they’re sending in,” he said. “They love to see us continue expanding … We’re the No. 1 grocer on the Gulf Coast, and it’s because our customers enjoy shopping with us.”
Rouse believes his grandfather would be proud of how far the company has come. “I don’t know that he would believe it,” he said. “We’re so far past what I believe his dreams were for the company.
“He would just be so proud of how the family stuck together and how the family was able to continue growing this business.”
Strong partnership for growth
Rouse also credits longtime partner Associated Wholesale Grocers for standing alongside the company through multiple phases of expansion. “AWG is always there for us,” he said. “They’ve been a great partner through our growth … they’ve always showed up.”
As he looks toward the next phase, Rouse said one thing gives him immense confidence: the people behind the operation – “the strength of our team.”
“We have a phenomenal team in place … we have the right team in place to continue growing, continue being successful,” he said.
And for Rouses Markets, that team – and the communities they serve – remain the heart of every decision.
“It’s just the same thing as always – support local, take care of your team members, have great customer service, have the right prices and sell the groceries,” Rouse said. “It’s what we’ve always done, and that’s what we keep doing.
“We have no cards, no gimmicks; we’re not playing any games. We’re just keeping great customer service, great product, great price.”
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