Last updated on June 25th, 2018 at 11:09 am
Employees and community members will officially welcome Robért Fresh Market to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, during a grand opening celebration set for 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on June 23 at the grocery store’s newly renovated location at 7355 Highland Road.
The event is open to the public and will feature samples of Robért’s “accent items,” which include customer favorites such as muffalettas, smoked salmon, Better Cheddar dip, chicken salad and more.
Robért Fresh Market also will introduce improvements and amenities, including a full-service meat and deli, bakery and floral departments; fresh sushi and pizza made in-house; and a salad and olive bar. The location also features a CC’s Coffee Shop. The store will even have its own “Boiling Center” where customers can purchase fresh boiled seasonal shrimp and crawfish daily.
In addition to its selection of groceries, prime meats and fresh produce, the store also features gourmet cheeses; prepared foods; wine and spirits; and catering items for parties, get-togethers and tailgates.
Robért Fresh Market, a family-owned mainstay in the New Orleans market, acquired the longtime grocery location in 2016 and began improvements immediately, with a major renovation kicking off in the third quarter of 2017.
“When the opportunity presented itself for us to expand to Baton Rouge, we happily made the leap,” said General Manager Marc Robért III. “We have tailored the new store to meet the unique needs of our Baton Rouge customers, and we are looking forward to serving families and businesses both every day and for special occasions.”
Robért Fresh Market’s normal operating hours are 7 a.m.-9 p.m. seven days a week.
Store lost during Katrina reopens to accolades
“He should charge admission to get into this place.”
Associated Grocers President and CEO Emile Breaux was referring to Marc Robért III, GM of Robért Fresh Market, and his company’s store that officially reopened March 10 on the corner of St. Claude and Elysian Fields Avenue in New Orleans’ Marigny/Bywater neighborhood.
On April 25, the store received a 2018 Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation from the Louisiana Landmarks Society. Since the store—which was Schwegmann’s first store many years ago—is included on the national and state registers of historic places, the design and construction of the renovation had to meet historical requirements. The existing building was 19,198 s.f., with an additional 6,856 s.f. of new construction, totaling 26,053 s.f. of grocery. The store had been shuttered since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
“We are excited to once again be an integral part of this neighborhood and to meet the needs of the community,” Robért III said. “This is an incredibly vibrant neighborhood, and we are thrilled to be serving this wonderful community.”
The store first opened its doors Dec. 30. Both the décor and product offerings have been tailored to the needs of the community. In addition to an extensive selection of groceries, produce, meat and seafood, the store also features a bakery, fresh sushi, a pizza oven, a sandwich bar, hot food bar, barbecue venue, and fine wines.
The store’s renovation and construction project began in early 2017, and the location now employs 90 associates.
Breaux said the store is on the edge of the French Quarter, so it draws a lot of foot (and bicycle) traffic. It also offers outdoor seating with ceiling fans, some of it covered.
“He smashed it out of the ballpark on that one,” Breaux said of Marc Robert. “He is one of the most creative people I’ve ever met, and he just has done an absolutely magnificent job with it…He’s a great merchant. When you walk into that store, if you can walk out of there without buying something, you’ve got the willpower of a saint.”
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