22
MY
ROUSES
EVERYDAY
JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014
My
Valentine
by
Mandy Rouse Martinolich
I
love a good love story, and as Valentine ’s Day nears,
everyone starts reminiscing about how they met their
significant other.
Here’s my love story:
Many years ago, there was a 15-year-old boy who was
hired to dress up as the Kool-Aid man in front of the
first Rouses Supermarket in Thibodaux, Louisiana.
Kool-Aid just happened to be my favorite drink, so my
mom would bring me to the store every time the Kool-
Aid man was there.
Little did I know that one day that
Kool-Aid man would one day become my husband.
A dozen or so years after our first Kool Aid encounter,
Jason and I crossed paths again, and officially met. He
was still working for Rouses, but not as the Kool-Aid
man anymore (can you imagine?). By then he had
worked his way up to Assistant Store Director. I was in
college and working at the Rouses Corporate Office in
the Advertising Department (where I’m back working
again today). We would see each other quite often, and
became very good friends. As some would say “the
rest is history” (actually Jason just won’t let me tell you
about the first time he asked me out on an official date).
We’ve been married for four and a half years, and have
two amazing little boys, Holden and Britton.
Because my husband has worked at Rouses through so
many Valentine Days, he knows a thing or two about
roses. Whether I receive one rose or two dozen, I know
that it means he’s thinking about me, and that he loves me.
Roses from Rouses
by
Susan, Rouses Floral Director
R
ouses roses come from all over, including 9,000 feet up the slopes of
volcanoes in Colombia. We sell roses 52 weeks a year, so we’re constantly
in contact with growers, meeting with vendors and shopping the major floral
shows. We’re always on the lookout for the best holding varieties (bulbs that
last) and prettiest colors (my new favorite is a medium pink).
Valentine’s Day, as you would imagine, is our busiest day of the year. It’s the
Super Bowl of flowers. It's our Grammys and our Academy Awards. We sell
thousands and thousands of arrangements in vases and fresh rose bouquets:
60% red, 40% other colors (red means love, and some people just want to say
like). Mixed bouquets are getting more and more popular, but baby’s breath is
still the most common filler. Roses just look like Valentine’s Day roses when
you add baby’s breath.
Our licensed florists start early and stay late on February 13th and 14th. And
we get all sorts of shoppers, from the first-time boyfriend, to the seasoned
buyer. There’s also the occasional panicked shopper knocking on the door as
we’re closing up Valentine’s night. I always say, “Let ‘em in.”
We get plenty of repeat business year after year. Even hour after hour. There
was one gentleman who had us make six different arrangements for six different
women throughout the day. He must have gotten a yes on his last delivery
because he didn’t come back. Until the next year.
