Saturday brought the end of an era in St. Charles Parish.
It marked the final day for the Majoria family’s involvement in the supermarket business. Murphy Majoria opened Majoria’s Supermarket in 1964 and passed it on to his sons Marc, Shea, Barry and Dana who carried the store and his legacy forward. The Boutte store has been locally owned and operated by the family for more than 60 years.
Earlier this year, the family made the decision to sell the store and retire from the business, and Saturday brought things officially to a close. Brandon Rivers, owner of Norco Fresh Market and River Road Market & Deli, purchased the store and will move forward with the community supermarket.
Dana Majoria admitted it’s been an emotional time for his family, but also one that’s inspired a great deal of gratitude.
“It’s obviously bittersweet,” Majoria said. “Saying the goodbyes to the customers and staff … there’s just so much history here for us, and it’s hard to put it into words. But we’re just so, so appreciative that we got to do this for so long … it’s a situation where we’re kind of going out on our own terms and, to sum it up, this is the best path forward for this business to survive and continue serving the community.”
Majoria and his brother Barry were the last of the brothers involved in the day-to-day operations of the store, and the next generation of Majoria children went into careers outside of the grocery business.
“And you really can’t outrun age,” Majoria said. “(Barry) is going to turn 69 next year and I’ll turn 65.”
And he said the brothers only truly knew how to run the business one way – to be present and hands on.
“If the store was open, we felt like we needed to be here. That was the philosophy that was brought down from my dad, and it worked for him,” Majoria said.
“We’re fortunate to be in good enough health and you have a window open to live your life – you don’t ever know how long that window’s gonna be open though. So, that’s what kind of got us there.”
Majoria was just three years old when his father opened Majoria’s in Boutte.
“I don’t have a memory without the store,” Majoria said.
Generation after generation came through the doors of Majoria’s.
“Everybody, you knew by name. You saw people – kids grow up. Your friends’ kids would come in and work at the store,” Majoria said. “And next thing you know, they’re coming back (years later) and they’re pushing a buggy. They might be a doctor, a plant worker, teacher … and it was a place people had to come at least once a week. We weren’t a tire store, we were a food store. You really got to meet and see and talk to people. It’s just been great. People come through and they become your friends. They’re both friends and customers as well.”
And even when the job got tough, the Majoria brothers could always draw upon some wisdom and perspective passed down to them.
“When you’re young, you might not appreciate what you have, complain about your job … I remember telling my dad, ‘Hey, we work all the time.’ He told me, ‘Dana, you’re not gonna get me to say anything bad about this business.’ It was a salvation for him,” Majoria said.
He paused momentarily.
“And it’s been a salvation for us,” he said, emotion in his voice.
Murphy Majoria was born in 1922 and grew up in St. Charles Parish, a graduate of Hahnville High School. He left the area, ultimately getting into the grocery business in Kenner and later Bridge City.
But when the opportunity arose, Murphy, along with his wife Leona, returned to open Majoria’s Supermarket in Boutte. The couple had six young children at the time. It was a true homecoming for Murphy, and over time, the business blossomed in a big way. Majoria’s Supermarket was the first grocery located on Highway 90.
After he suffered a heart attack in 1976, Marc, Barry and Shea Majoria took the reins and carried the business forward.
“They worked a lot of hours, seven days a week without a lot of the modern equipment and conveniences that make the job easier now,” Dana said.
Dana said the family was always proud to serve the community.
When Hurricane Katrina threw the area into chaos, Majoria’s took the lead in reopening its doors.
“It really was a scary time. We were the first store open from Venice to here … we had a commitment to our business and the community. I hope people remember us as a good family trying to make a living and trying to do the best for our customers,” Majoria said.
