Ariège: the town hall launches a project to reopen the grocery store in the village of Nalzen

The municipality of Nalzes launches the project to reopen a gastronomy to sell local products and promote an intergenerational, social, multipurpose and lively place.

The profile sought is varied: a private individual, an association, a group of artisans or a producer. The premises belong to the town hall. It is equipped with 21.42 m² and a reserve of 5.36 m², in the center of the village.

The rental conditions are to be defined. This former producers shop is a place of passage, thanks to the nearby D117. It is located at the crossroads of the main tourist sites of Ariège such as the castle of Foix, the castle of Roquefixade and the Grand Site Montségur.

In order to develop its territory from an agricultural point of view, the community of municipalities of the town of Olmes is carrying out the territorial food project to relocate agriculture and food to its territory.

This system supports the settlement of farmers, short circuits and the promotion of local products. For this reason, the CCPO supports the project of the municipality of Nalzen to rehabilitate the grocery store, to give new life to a town that no longer has a store.

Bringing life back to a village that no longer has an activity

The premises comply with accessibility standards for the general public with also a parking space for people with reduced mobility or with disabilities.

The collective outlet had opened on October 6, 2018 and, after 4 years of being open, it closed in early 2023. It was managed by an association under the 1901 law, “La Brouette”.

Attached to the shop is an intergenerational room that can host events. It can be rented for a few days a month to set up exhibitions, creative workshops or simply a meeting place between consumers and local producers.

A dozen producers are very interested in opening this store. In order to know the position and motivation of the population on this project, a questionnaire was created in order to be able to open the shop with the help of the inhabitants. The idea is to get to know their eating habits, their links with local products and to inform them about how to support the project (volunteers, members of an association).