The BEST STOPS in The Best Stop History
The Best Stop’s journey from a small local supermarket to a nationally recognized brand is a testament to their resilience, passion for culinary craftsmanship, and the enduring values of faith, family, and community.
It All Began with Boudin
On November 1, 1986, driven by a strong Catholic faith, a love for Cajun food, and a struggling Louisiana economy, Robert Cormier and Lawrence Menard opened the Best Stop Supermarket in Scott. They worked tirelessly seven days a week developing and refining recipes for their boudin, cracklin, sausage, specialty meats, and Cajun seasonings. Alongside the duo was Mrs. Jerry Prejean Hovatta, who helped create and make the recipes and prayed the rosary for the business daily.
It's FAMILY
Family is the heart and soul of The Best Stop Supermarket, and Robert Cormier’s children have each come home to play an integral role in the business’s growth and success.
Dana
The Meat & Greens
Robert’s daughter, Dana Cormier, began working alongside her father and Uncle Brud in 1994 after serving as a police officer and narcotic agent for the Lafayette Sheriff’s Department. When Uncle Brud passed away in 2008, Dana took the reins and became the general manager of The Supermarket. Her leadership helped steer The Best Stop through new challenges and opportunities in the business landscape.
Damon
The Rice
The youngest of the Cormier clan, Damon Cormier, also returned to work at The Best Stop in 2009 after working as a mortician and funeral director for Melancon Funeral Home. He spearheaded putting The Best Stop on the map by incorporating online sales while working with his dad and sister.
Nicky
The Seasoning
Nicky Cormier Richard also joined her siblings in 2017 after a 26-year career as a hairdresser and salon owner of Tres Chic. She became the manager of The Best Stop Express in Duson, Louisiana, which has moved to The Kitchen in the flagship Supermarket.
Penny
The Casing
In 2018, Penny Cormier Gennuso left an extensive career in education to return home and introduce a new era of growth and expansion for The Best Stop. She assumed the role of financial manager for all Best Stop businesses and learned the best practices involved in building and successfully running a USDA-certified Wholesale Manufacturing Facility.
Cookin’ Up a Delicious Future
Today, The Best Stop is a cornerstone of the Cajun culinary tradition and a recognized name in specialty meats. The business has grown far beyond the original supermarket to now include numerous franchise locations (link to the locations map) in Louisiana and Texas and a USDA-certified Wholesale Manufacturing Plant, which opened in 2020.
It All Began with Boudin
On November 1, 1986, driven by a strong Catholic faith, a love for Cajun food, and a struggling Louisiana economy, Robert Cormier and Lawrence Menard opened the Best Stop Supermarket in Scott. They worked tirelessly seven days a week developing and refining recipes for their boudin, cracklin, sausage, specialty meats, and Cajun seasonings. Alongside the duo was Mrs. Jerry Prejean Hovatta, who helped create and make the recipes and prayed the rosary for the business daily.
It's FAMILY!
Family is the heart and soul of The Best Stop Supermarket, and Robert Cormier’s children have each come home to play an integral role in the business’s growth and success.
Dana
The Meat & Greens
Robert’s daughter, Dana Cormier, began working alongside her father and Uncle Brud in 1994 after serving as a police officer and narcotic agent for the Lafayette Sheriff’s Department. When Uncle Brud passed away in 2008, Dana took the reins and became the general manager of The Supermarket. Her leadership helped steer The Best Stop through new challenges and opportunities in the business landscape.
Damon
The Rice
The youngest of the Cormier clan, Damon Cormier, also returned to work at The Best Stop in 2009 after working as a mortician and funeral director for Melancon Funeral Home. He spearheaded putting The Best Stop on the map by incorporating online sales while working with his dad and sister.
Nicky
The Seasoning
Nicky Cormier Richard also joined her siblings in 2017 after a 26-year career as a hairdresser and salon owner of Tres Chic. She became the manager of The Best Stop Express in Duson, Louisiana, which has moved to The Kitchen in the flagship Supermarket.
Penny
The Casing
In 2018, Penny Cormier Gennuso left an extensive career in education to return home and introduce a new era of growth and expansion for The Best Stop. She assumed the role of financial manager for all Best Stop businesses and learned the best practices involved in building and successfully running a USDA-certified Wholesale Manufacturing Facility.
Cookin’ Up a Delicious Future
Today, The Best Stop is a cornerstone of the Cajun culinary tradition and a recognized name in specialty meats. The business has grown far beyond the original supermarket to now include numerous franchise locations (link to the locations map) in Louisiana and Texas and a USDA-certified Wholesale Manufacturing Plant, which opened in 2020.
At the Root of It All, There is Faith
As we’ve shared, the strong Catholic faith of Robert and Lawrence played a large part in opening The Best Stop. However, that is certainly not where the impact of faith ends. Our Catholic beliefs are a significant part of who we are and how we run our business.
We often say, “Jesus is our friend. He has guided our decisions and helped the right people find us when most needed.”
God’s love humbles us, and we can firmly say we wouldn’t be where we are today without our faith. That’s why we placed Jesus’s Divine Mercy image on our front door.
When you walk into The Best Stop, you can know that God loves you, and so do we.
Thank you all for your continued love, support, and especially your prayers!
