Best Stop Supermarket to break ground on production facility Thursday

The Best Stop Supermarket in Scott will begin construction on a production facility this week as part of an expansion to start offering its boudin and other smoked meats to restaurants, bars and grocery stores in Louisiana. 

Store officials and others will hold a groundbreaking ceremony at 11:30 a.m. Thursday for the 15,000-square-foot facility to be built behind the current location, 625 La. 93 North. Construction on the $6 million project should take 10 months, said Penny Gennuso, financial manager and daughter of owner Robert Cormier. 

The move is a part of an expansion that will include adding five employees at first with the potential to hire 15 more as demand increases and expanding into neighboring states while possibly shipping items nationwide. It currently employs 36 at its Scott location and 10 at The Best Stop Express, 3002 Daulaut Drive in Duson. 

Gennuso added that after the success of Duson location, they are also looking into opening new stores in Louisiana either as company-owned locations or franchises.

"My dad has owned The Best Stop for 33 years this Nov. 1, and he's been looking forward to expanding for some time," Gennuso said. "We've been getting a lot of interest from people who want to sell our products, but we couldn't handle the demand without this facility and also be up to code as well."

The investment in the area will only enhance the city's reputation as the Boudin Capital of the World, Mayor Jan-Scott Richard said. 

"Any time you have a business that's been here as long as Best Stop that's reinvesting in the community and putting their dollars back into a big project like that is something we appreciate and want to encourage," Richard said "It just shows that people are continuing to invest in our community, and this is a big step for us. This is going to be able to let us show everyone across the region and the country why we're the Boudin Capital of the World."