From Benny's Big Star to Benny's Supermarket » St. Landry Now Online Newspaper

Award Winning Grocery Continues to Serve Opelousas

CAROLA LILLIE HARTLEY
PUBLISHER AND CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In July of 1976, Opelousas had two things to celebrate. The first was the Bicentennial of the United States, with activities held for the entire week leading up to the big event on Sunday July 4^th of that year. Part of the celebration included the dedication of a time capsule on the grounds of the Opelousas Public Library, buried on July 4^th to be opened on July 4, 2026.

The other celebration was the grand, official re-opening of the Big Star Food Center, renamed Benny’s Big Star, at 753 South Union Street. Benny Nele and family reopened the Big Star grocery store during that year, about the same time as all the other celebrating was happening. Besides selling groceries, the store featured a delicatessen, serving hot lunches daily.

**_{One of the first ads for Benny’s Big Star that ran in the Daily World in April of 1976.}**

The week after the Bicentennial, Benny Nele, his wife Mary Guillory Nele and their children Deedra Nele and Benny Jo Nele were officially welcomed into town by Steve Bienvenu, Executive Director of the Greater Opelousas Chamber of Commerce.

^{Steve Bienvenu, executive director of the Greater Opelousas Chamber of Commerce, welcomes the Nele family to Opelousas in July of 1976. Pictured L-R: Steve Bienvenu, Benny Nele, Mary Guillory Nele, Deedra Nele, Benny Jo Nele, and Carey Guillory, Mary Nele’s father.}

A&P Food Store Becomes Big Star Food Center
That Big Star Food Center in Opelousas had been in business since it first opened on September 23, 1974. On that date it was owned and operated by Marksville businessman Vincent Baldridge. The store building, owned by Herbert Brown, was first used by A&P Food Store that opened on South Union Street in Opelousas on April 27, 1959.

**^{Vincent Baldridge, owner of Big Star Store in Opelousas from 1974-1976.}**

In June of 1974 when A&P moved to the new Vista Village Shopping Center on Creswell Lane, the store was leased to Big Star. Besides being the owner of the Opelousas grocery store, Baldridge also owned the Dixie Dandy in Marksville and was the president of the Louisiana Retail Food Dealers at that time.

**^{A&P Food Store opens for business in Opelousas in April of 1959.}**

Benny Nele took over as owner and manager in April of 1976, and folks in the community begin referring to the Big Star simply as “Benny’s.”

Who was Benny Nele?
The son of Bernice and Tony Nele, Benny was born in Beaumont, Texas in 1939. While he attended high school in that community, he worked part time in produce for Krogers Supermarket. After he graduated, he worked for the Market Basket Stores in Beaumont and Port Arthur, TX as produce manager. He later became the store’s manager. He worked in the wholesale produce business for five years, before going back to work for Market Basket Stores as director of produce operations.

Benny remained in Beaumont until he moved from there to Opelousas in 1976 to open Benny’s Big Star. In 1985 when National Food Store stopped doing business on Union Street in Opelousas, Benny purchased that store and moved into the larger building at 806 South Union Street. He renamed his grocery store Benny’s Supermarket.

**^{Benny Nele with his display of Louisiana Sweet Potatoes set up for the 1978 Louisiana Yambilee Festival in October of that year.}**

As soon as the family settled in Opelousas, Benny immediately became active in Opelousas business and civic organizations including the Boni Fidem Fraternity, the French Club, the Opelousas Sertoma Club, the Opelousas Elks Club and the Opelousas Chamber of Commerce. He was a strong supporter of the Louisiana Yambilee Association, serving on their board of directors. He was chosen by the Yambilee to lead their parade as Grand Marshall in 1990 and served as Mr. Yam for the 61^st Louisiana Yambilee Festival in 2006. He promoted Louisiana Yams and won many national and state contests featuring fresh and canned Louisiana Sweet Potatoes. He also was very involved in the Louisiana Retail Food Dealers Association, serving for several years as its president.

**^{Benny and Mary Nele at Benny’s Supermarket in 2011.}**

Benny ran his grocery store in Opelousas for 38 years, retiring and selling the business in 2014. He died on June 24, 2019, in Lafayette, LA, where he is buried in Greenlawn Memorial Gardens.

National Food Store Building – Now Benny’s Supermarket in Opelousas, LA
In 1986 when Benny Nele relocated his store known as Benny’s Big Star from its first location in the old A&P building at 739 South Union Street, he moved it right up the block to the old National Food Store building at 806 South Union Street. After that move the store was called Benny’s Supermarket.

For many years prior, that building was well known in Opelousas as a place to do grocery shopping. Opened in 1955, the store was part of the National Tea Company that had been in business for many years. The National Food Store building was constructed on property that belonged to the Alton Parker family of Opelousas.

^{At one time this home, owned by the Alton Parker family, sat on property located on the Union, Main, Jefferson and Franklin streets in South Opelousas. In 1954 it was moved away when Alton Parker sold the property so the National Food Store could be built there. The lot was paved, and the new building constructed, opening in March of 1955. Today that building is occupied by Benny’s Supermarket.}

In August of 1954 an announcement in the Daily World newspaper stated the Parker family leased the entire lot they owned on South Union, South Main, Franklin and Jefferson Streets to the National Tea Company for a new National Food Store to be built. The property included an historic house that was to be moved.

The house was moved, the lot was cleared and paved and the new supermarket building constructed.

**^{National Food Store Building in Opelousas that opened in 1955.}**

Since the early 1900s Opelousas had other large grocery stores like Clary’s, Clarence Saunders Cash and Carry Store and Heymann’s Food Store, but the National Food Store was the first real supermarket in town. It opened on Union Street on Tuesday, March 8, 1955. The formal opening of the 75×150-foot super store drew hundreds of people, who waited outside for some time just to be able to see what a “supermarket” was.

**^{The National Food Store, the first Opelousas supermarket, opens in the new building on South Union Street in Opelousas in 1955.}**

National Food Store remained in that South Union Street location until 1985 when the company moved out. Benny Nele moved his Benny’s Big Star to that location, and it became Benny’s Supermarket.

Benny with his wife and children continued to run the supermarket until he sold it and retired in 2014. Chad Soprano, the new owner, operated the store until 2021. On May 1^st of that year, it was sold to Seth Robin, who owns and operates the store today.

Seth Robin – New Owner of Benny’s Supermarket
When just a Junior attending Opelousas High School, Seth Robin began working at Benny’s Supermarket in Opelousas in February of 2008. He was an afternoon stocker working for Benny Nele and his son Benny Jo Nele.

Seth continued to work at Benny’s throughout high school and into his college years. In 2010, while still attending the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, he was promoted to Assistant Store Manager. He continued in that role until 2014.

In 2014, Benny Nele sold the supermarket to Chad Soprano. At that time Seth transitioned into the Assistant Manager position and eventually became the General Manager in 2016. He worked in that position until 2021 when he had the opportunity to purchase Benny’s Supermarket from Soprano, on May 1^st of that year.

Today, Seth Robin is the owner and manager of Benny’s Supermarket on South Union Street in Opelousas.

Benny’s Supermarket still operated in Opelousas today, after 46 years in business, The award winning grocery supermarket is today owned and operated by Seth Robin.