The LeBlanc family celebrated the opening this morning of its first supermarket in Baton Rouge—and its ninth in Louisiana—with a ribbon cutting at the Frais Marche in Drusilla Village Shopping Center. The family spent more than $3 million renovating and expanding the 30,000-square-foot space, previously occupied by Hi Nabor Supermarket, while developer and landlord Donnie Jarreau spent another $3 million upgrading and re-tenanting the rest of the nearly 60-year-old shopping center.
“It is going fantastic,” says Randal LeBlanc of the store’s first morning. “Locals have embraced it. … We believe this is the right location at the right time for LeBlanc’s.”
Several executives from local wholesaler Associated Grocers, as well as other area supermarket owners, were on hand this morning for the festivities. It was the fourth time they’ve gotten together for a local store opening since late last year.
In January, Matherne’s opened downtown’s first grocery store in 50 years. That same week, Rouse’s entered the market with a new supermarket in Juban Crossing. Last November, Hi Nabor opened an expanded store in its new location in the Broadmoor Shopping Center.
If it seems like a lot of grocery stores for a market already well served by other independents and several national chains, Associated Grocers’ Emile Breaux says it is—but it’s not too many.
“There is still plenty of demand,” says Breaux, Associated Grocers vice president and chief operating officer, who will take over as president and CEO this summer. “We’re not going to overstore an area. We do all the analytics to determine if there is a need in a particular place and we do it very mathematically, very statistically, and if there is a need we’re going to find someone who can address the demographics in the area.”
Breaux says the Drusilla Lane/Jefferson Highway area is particularly well suited for a supermarket. “I feel very good about this location,” he says. “Our previous retailer who operated here did very, very well here. There’s a lot of unfilled demand.”
Shopping center owner Donnie Jarreau, who purchased the center for $10 million last year, says renovations are nearly complete and the center is 90% leased. Letters of intent have been signed with two new tenants, including a restaurant and retailer.
—Stephanie Riegel
