Rouses Market Opens 1st College-Themed Store

Rouses Market is honoring Nicholls State University with its new store in Thibodaux, La.—it’s first college-themed location. While each store is tailored to its location, the new Rouses, which is a replacement for a unit that was originally located across the street, is painted in Nicholls State Colonels’ red and gray with school logos and photos featured throughout the store. The cafe features a Colonels’ basketball scoreboard and offers a 12-ounce cup of Colonels Red, the craft lager brewed by Bayou Teche Brewing for the school, on draft for $1.

Photograph courtesy of Rouses Market

The Rouse family has close ties to the school, making the partnership a natural one. “We have decades worth of tradition and ties to Nicholls State University. We have a lot family members and team members who are graduates, and we employ hundreds of current students,” said CEO Donny Rouse.

The store, which is located across the street from a medical center and down the road from the university, features products and services to meet the needs of on-the-go college students and healthcare professionals, including online shopping with curbside pickup. A hot line, poke bowl station and Mongolian Grill with made-to-order stir-fries offer an alternative to fast food for a delicious and quick breakfast, lunch or dinner. Like all Rouses Markets, there’s a full-service butcher shop, seafood market, floral department and bakery. There is a farmers market array of seasonal and local produce sourced through partnerships with local farmers, as well as more than 100 organic fresh fruits and vegetables.

Photograph courtesy of Rouses Market

Opening day festivities on Oct. 30 included appearances by the Nicolls mascot, cheerleaders and band, as well as Troy Landry from History's "Swamp People" and former NFL Saint’s running back Deuce McAllister.

Rouses Market also matched $25,000 in donations to Nicholls State. The funds will help support the school’s athletic program and the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute. “This is a great way for us—and our customers—to show support for Nicholls,” said Rouse.