Rouses Opens Store in New Orleans East with Police Substation

Rouses Markets opened a new store in New Orleans East on February 2^nd, bringing expanded access to fresh groceries and hot food options to a community long impacted by limited retail food availability. Located at 9701 Chef Menteur Highway, the store is expected to improve local access to essential goods while supporting broader economic development efforts in the area.

New Orleans Police Department will also operate a substation within the new location — the first time a supermarket in the city has included an on-site police presence.

City leaders joined residents and store employees to celebrate the grand opening, highlighting the project’s role in strengthening neighborhood infrastructure following the closure of the Winn-Dixie that previously occupied the site.

In addition to reopening the location as a Rouses Market, the company retained all existing staff, including store leadership — a move CEO Donny Rouse said was a top priority. “We were a competitor of [Winn Dixie] before, and so they were a little unsure, but once they understood our values, our brand, what our plans are for the future, we were able to keep everyone and bring in new team members,” said Rouse.

Donny Rouse expressed appreciation for the support his company received from the City of New Orleans and Mayor Helena Moreno’s administration. Mayor Moreno, who was also in attendance, emphasized the store’s importance to the city’s long-term growth strategy. “The reason why I have so much focus on New Orleans East is that as we elevate New Orleans East, we elevate the city and it has been long forgotten, lack of focus in this area and enough’s enough,” said Moreno. She also noted the significance of the new police substation for area residents, who have long been requesting one due to the Seventh District’s large geographic size

The new store marks Rouses’ continued investment in improving food access and economic opportunity across New Orleans East.

“This community is a food desert; there aren’t many options here for fresh meat, fresh produce, and groceries,” says Rouse. “We wanted to come into this community and help bring it back to where it was. We know with Rouses here that other business will come. We know the community is going to thrive.”