“Throughout our 60 years history, we have seen many ups and downs, and this challenge is no different. We will get through it together.” – Donny Rouse, CEO
Social Distancing & Sanitation
We have always operated with the highest standards of food safety and cleanliness and have implemented additional safety measures since the emergence of the coronavirus (COVID-19). We are sanitizing all surfaces, including shopping cart handles and child seats, merchandise shelves, front-end belts and registers throughout the day. To be extra cautious, we have installed Plexiglass partitions at checkout counters. There are already floor markers at the checkout lanes indicating how far apart to stand to maintain safe distances, and we’ve asked our cashiers to sanitize after each customer transaction. The Plexiglass partitions add yet another level of protection.
We are doing all that we can to increase the practice of safe social distancing. We have implemented procedures to make sure that interaction among team members and between team members and customers in every space of our store can happen at a safe distance.
We are also asking families send one person per family to shop when possible.
Smithfield Foods and Rouses Markets Partner to Donate Nearly 40,000 Pounds of Protein to Support Second Harvest Food Bank
April 8, 2020 — Smithfield Foods, Inc. and Rouses Markets joined forces today to donate nearly 40,000 of protein to Second Harvest. The donation, which includes mostly frozen meat products, will allow Second Harvest to prepare 150,000 servings of protein in their Community Kitchen. This will help bridge the gap for people experiencing the most significant hardships due to the impacts of COVID-19 in the weeks to come.
Southern Specialities and Rouses Markets donate 2,000 pounds of fresh vegetables to support those on the frontline
April 6, 2020 — Southern Specialties, in partnership with Rouses Markets, announced the donation of more than 2,000 pounds of food — including heirloom tomatoes, white asparagus and beefsteak tomatoes — to three hospitals that are servings Louisianians in need during this pandemic. Distributions to Touro Infirmary, University Medical Center and Ochsner Hospital were organized through Capital City Produce of Baton Rouge. The donation helps feed hospital staffs working around the clock during this pandemic, and their families.
Rouses Markets invests more than $1M in frontline team members with bonuses, shift meals and other benefits
April 1, 2020 — Rouses Markets is investing one million dollars in its team members who are on the frontlines. Donny Rouse, CEO, announced today that the company is paying April bonuses to thousands of hourly store employees as a thank you for working tirelessly to serve the needs of its customers. The company is also accelerating scheduled quarterly bonuses for store management and employees who oversee store departments.
“I have never been more proud of our team than I am today,” said Donny Rouse, CEO. “They have been absolutely remarkable in taking care of our customers during an incredible time of need.”
Increasing team member compensation is just one way Rouses Markets is rewarding and recognizing its 7,000 team members for all of their hard work. The company has been providing store employees meals during their breaks since the outbreak began.
Rouses Markets is also giving team members an additional paid holiday this year — and much-deserved break — on Easter Sunday. “We want everyone to have the full day to spend time with family,” said Rouse.
Shoppers will notice that Rouses Markets has also increased protections to support team members who work in their stores. In addition to rigorous cleaning routines already in place, to be extra cautious, the company is in the process of installing Plexiglass partitions at checkout counters. There are already floor markers at the checkout lanes indicating how far apart to stand maintain safe distances, and they’ve asked their cashiers to sanitize after each customer transaction. The Plexiglass partitions add yet another level of protection.
“We know what an essential role our team members play during this pandemic, and we are doing everything we can to keep them — and you — safe,” said Rouse.
Rouses Markets is also providing all team members, and their immediate family members, free access to Ochsner Anywhere Care, a telehealth program, regardless of whether or not they have health insurance. Team members can connect to a licensed healthcare provider to get a diagnosis and treatment plan or see a licensed therapist face-to-face without ever having to leave their home. Rouses Markets is extending the service to all 7,000 team members through the end of May. The company will be providing this service free of charge to team members, so there are no charges or co-payments for telemedicine, urgent care, physician visits or therapy.
Rouses Markets Donates Truckloads of Food to support those experiencing Covid-19 hardships
March 30, 2020 — Continuing more than a decade of support of the fight against hunger, Rouses Markets this week donated nearly 14,000 pounds of high-quality food to Second Harvest’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. “This amazing donation will help us prepare thousands more hot meals in our Community Kitchen,” said Second Harvest Executive Chef Susan Goss. “It’s such a wide variety of products that will be a key asset in our kitchen.” The 18-wheeler load of frozen potato products include hash browns, sliced potatoes and other products.
Rouses Markets works with Second Harvest year-round. This donation was earmarked for children and seniors, two of our most vulnerable groups during difficult times. “We know so many children rely on the meals they receive at school, and we’re working to make sure they and their families have three meals a day” says Donny Rouse, CEO. “One in six seniors struggles with hunger or poor nutrition. We want to make sure they have enough food as well.”
Rouses Markets Helps Louisiana Restaurants Find New Ways To Sell
March 30, 2020 — The usual dress code at Galatoire’s in New Orleans’ French Quarter is business casual for lunch, no shorts or t-shirts. Jackets are required for gentlemen starting at 5 p.m. nightly and all day Sunday. Over at Commander’s Palace in the Garden District, it’s no shorts, flip-flops, t-shirts, sweatshirts or sweat pants, and jackets are preferred.
But with Louisiana identified as a new hotbed of the coronavirus pandemic, these days, New Orleanians are enjoying the likes of Galatorie’s Shrimp Remoulade, and Commander’s Palace’s Turtle Soup and Grits & Grillades in shorts, maybe even pajamas.
After Governor John Bel Edwards ordered all Louisiana restaurants to stop dine-in service, Donny Rouse, CEO of Rouses Markets, a family owned, Louisiana-based grocery store with 64 stores, immediately stepped up to help. “We are one food community, and much as we can, we will support each other during these difficult times,” said Rouse.
On March 19th, Rouses Markets introduced a program that lets customers purchase meals-to-go prepared by some of their favorite restaurants and sold in their stores. “People visit our stores for lunch or dinner, not just for groceries. This gives restaurants another way to sell takeout, and our customers another way to support some of their favorite restaurants and chefs.” The restaurants keep the profit from the sales.
You can now get to-go meals prepared by chefs at Galatoire’s, Commander’s Palace, Ye Old College Inn, Johnny Sanchez and other restaurants at select Rouses Markets locations in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Houma and Thibodaux.
The program has already raised more than $25,000 for the restaurants.
“The response has been so incredible,” says Rouse. “Now we’re working on adding even more cities and restaurants.”
