Cannata’s Continues to Evolve Now 80 Years and Counting

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Our area’s longest-running locally-owned family grocer is celebrating its 80th birthday this year.

Cannata’s started in 1939 as a newlywed couple’s quaint fruit stand. Today, the business has evolved into a well-known local grocery power with three stores (West Houma, East Houma and Morgan City) and more than 300 total employees.

Vince Cannata, President of Cannata Companies and the son of original founders Fannie and Vincent Cannata, said the key to the grocer’s success is hard work, diligence and knowledge of the area — the place the Cannata family and employees call home.


“We live here in our community,” Vince Cannata said. “We understand what is important to the people here. In addition to that, we have a pride that we want to bring the best of everything into our stores. That’s important to us and I think our customers recognize that commitment we have to them and their satisfaction. … We’re proud (of 80 years in business). And we look forward to many, many more years in business in our market.”

From day one, Cannata’s has been a family-based business.

Vincent Cannata started his path as a boy in New Orleans. At age 12, Vincent worked at his family’s corner grocery story in the Carollton area of New Orleans.


Throughout his career, young Vincent also milked cows at his family’s dairy and delivered the product door-to-door, while soon expanding and additionally offering bread, fruits and vegetables to homes in the community.

It is actually through that work that young Vincent met Fannie.

During his old produce routes, Vincent would travel to a corner market butcher shop owned by Fannie Canale’s parents. The two met, and the rest, as they say, is history.


The young couple spread their own roots after marriage, opening a fruit stand in Morgan City.

Vincent would hustle to and from New Orleans daily to serve his customers.

“I’m told Dad would run back and forth to the market daily,” Vince said. “He would call Mom with what looked great, and if it was something extra special or peak of the season, Mom would get on the phone and have it sold before Dad got home.”


As Cannata’s grew, the store became Morgan City’s first modern supermarket — a partnership that still exists today.

In the 1970s, the family expanded its business and opened a store on West Park Avenue in Houma. A third store on the Eastside of Houma later brought the business to its current size.

Vince Cannata said it’s a source of pride to he and his family that the Cannata’s chain has several employees who have been with the business for decades and have seen the store through its growth.


“We’re blessed to have a lot of long-term employees,” Vince said. “Those people are so valuable to us. And we really hope to have them all with us for many years to come.”

The business also boasts a long, loyal list of long-term customers and Vince Cannata said he believes the best is yet to come.

Vince said the store constantly strives to evolve and change with business trends, including being the first local grocer to offer Curbside services and several other new technologies.


“Technology changes quite a bit,” Vince said. “And we take pride in being able to say that we work hard to stay ahead of the game and in many cases, we’re even on the forefront.”

One of those innovative ideas is a new rewards program for Cannata’s customers where the store will be able to offer rewards and discounts to its most loyal customers.

Vince said that the rewards program is special to him, because after 80 years, countless changes and an economic time where nationally-owned chain stores have become more prevalent, Cannata’s wants to make sure that its customers know how appreciated they truly are to everyone within the business.


“To me, it’s all about rewarding the folks who allow us to function and stay in business,” Vince said. “Because, frankly, if it weren’t for those people, we wouldn’t be in business today. We take pride because we continue to show progress and gain new customers and we want those customers to know that we appreciate their support so very much.” •

BY CASEY GISCLAIR