Former NFL superstar , Tyrone Legette , played for the New Orleans Saints and several other teams before retiring in 1998 . Now he is another kind of superstar -- he is an entrepreneur who recently opened his own grocery store in Baton Rouge , Louisiana .
From football to groceries
The transition from sports to the food business was not immediate . One year after retiring from football , Legette started his own construction company , Legette Construction Inc ., where he focused on working with non-profits to build subdivisions in New Orleans that provided homes aimed at first-time home buyers .
It wasn ' t until 20 years later , however , that he saw another business opportunity in the grocery store industry as a franchisee of Save-A-Lot . So , he decided to pursue it !
Why the grocery business ?
Legette says he got into the grocery business for some of the same reasons he started his own construction firm . As a contractor , he wanted to help others -- first-time buyers . As a grocery store owner , he wanted to help people save money on their groceries .
In addition , the location , North Baton Rouge , is considered to be a food desert - that is , an urban area where it is very difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food . So , he decided to renovate an old abandoned building at 12250 Plank Road , and make that the new address of his Save-A-Lot franchise .
Giving back
Legette sees a strong connection between his construction business and now his grocery store business . He feels he has been able to help families meet two of their most basic necessities - affordable housing and food !