Rouses Markets announced plans to break ground this month on a full-service grocery store in Baton Rouge on Florida Boulevard and North Ardenwood Drive. Large areas of Baton Rouge are considered food deserts due to the limited access to affordable, fresh, and nutritious foods. Rouses has worked closely with the city-parish mayor for the past five years to find a prime location for the new store that will reach as many underserved residents as possible. “It was clear the community was in need of a fresh food retailer closer to home,” says Rouses CEO Donny Rouse. City-parish officials believe the new 44,000 square foot grocery store will promote the revitalization the Ardenwood Shopping Center and surrounding communities. The mayor’s office joined forces with Metro Council member Cleve Dunn, the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, Build Baton Rouge and the North Baton Rouge Economic Development District to facility the project. The new Rouses Market will open in summer 2023.
The popular south Louisiana-based grocery chain is also beginning construction this month on a new location in Lafayette, Louisiana at 1810 Camellia Boulevard near the entrance to River Ranch, according to Rouses CEO Donnie Rouse. The store will anchor a large, 15-acre retail and business development with fast-food restaurants, a gas station, a coffee shop, and medical offices. It will be the fourth location in Lafayette. At 55,000 square feet, the store will have a similar footprint to the south Lafayette store with all of the amenities Rouses is known for including a wide array of Cajun-inspired prepared foods, an extensive selection of local products, and numerous full-service counters.
