Do you remember: Evan’s Grocery was once one of a kind in New Iberia
Published 8:00 am Sunday, November 22, 2020
- In the early 70s, New Iberia’s Evan’s Grocery was a go-to place for its residents. One thing that was most memorable was that they sold live chickens outside of the store.
Evan’s Grocery Store in New Iberia offered something pretty unique for its customers — live chickens.
Yes, live chickens, which were sold on the side of the old grocery building located on Center Street. Named after its original owner Evan Abshire, who sold the business in the late 1960s, Evan’s Grocery left a lasting impact on customers in the Teche Area.
Eugene Broussard remembers shopping there often when he was younger and more importantly, he enjoyed seeing Evan and his wife.
“I knew him well and my family shopped there almost exclusively. In later years he sold the store and opened a frozen chicken business,” Broussard said. “Evan and his wife were fine folks.”
One of the most unique aspects of New Iberia is the local grocery stores, from Simoneaud’s Grocery & Market to Bi-Lo Supermarket and T & B Grocery. Evan’s Grocery Store too stood the test of time. And years later, it is still talked about by local residents.
Caleen Lopez enjoyed her occasional trips when she was younger to Evan’s Grocery for her mom. Living two doors down from the store, she had fun being at the local staple store.
“Some of my earliest memories are going there for my mother for cigarettes, bread milk and pimento ham,” Lopez said.
