Let's renovate the "RIBET" house
Renovate the house to create a grocery store/café and a share place to improve living together
Our project consists of renovating a disused municipal building to make it a place of life, exchange and transgenerational sharing.
To do this, we have create since july 2025, on the ground floor: a grocery store and a café, both associative and participatory.
But the ground floor need to be completely restore.
The upper floor will be valued as a multifunctional place with games and open to the greatest number.
To do this, we have create since july 2025, on the ground floor: a grocery store and a café, both associative and participatory.
But the ground floor need to be completely restore.
The upper floor will be valued as a multifunctional place with games and open to the greatest number.
France
Place du village
31220 MAURAN
31220 MAURAN
Prototype level
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
31327: Mauran (FR)
We are a small rural community of 200 inhabitants without shops or schools.
Our project consists of renovating a communal building that has been abandoned for at least 30 years to make it a place of life, exchange and transgenerational sharing in the heart of the village.
In the immediate vicinity is the children's playground, the pétanque ground and the covered market.
To do this, we already have open a grocery store and a café on the ground floor. Both associative and participatory.
This floor have been clean by the citizens. The municipal team has started to bring it up to standard, but major work is still needed.
They are run by the residents who are members of the association for 2 hours per month and per family.
You can find here local and organic products as much as possible.
Making group orders allow us to get discounts.
The products listed are sold without margin to increase purchasing power and so that people's standard of living is no longer a hindrance.
We are not here to make a profit, we are here to give joy.
The upper floor will be used as a multifunctional place :
- relaxation area with billiards, table football, and darts accessible from the café.
- It can also be used for meetings, DIY workshops, cooking or yoga classes for example.
(We have 2 other rooms in the town, but one is too small (20m²), and the other too large (300m²) and impossible to heat in winter given the price of electricity.)
- Finally, it will be equipped like an apartment with bathroom and kitchen and sofa beds so that one or more people in an emergency situation can find refuge there for a few days while they find a permanent situation. (such as battered women, family whose house has burned down, etc.)
Our project consists of renovating a communal building that has been abandoned for at least 30 years to make it a place of life, exchange and transgenerational sharing in the heart of the village.
In the immediate vicinity is the children's playground, the pétanque ground and the covered market.
To do this, we already have open a grocery store and a café on the ground floor. Both associative and participatory.
This floor have been clean by the citizens. The municipal team has started to bring it up to standard, but major work is still needed.
They are run by the residents who are members of the association for 2 hours per month and per family.
You can find here local and organic products as much as possible.
Making group orders allow us to get discounts.
The products listed are sold without margin to increase purchasing power and so that people's standard of living is no longer a hindrance.
We are not here to make a profit, we are here to give joy.
The upper floor will be used as a multifunctional place :
- relaxation area with billiards, table football, and darts accessible from the café.
- It can also be used for meetings, DIY workshops, cooking or yoga classes for example.
(We have 2 other rooms in the town, but one is too small (20m²), and the other too large (300m²) and impossible to heat in winter given the price of electricity.)
- Finally, it will be equipped like an apartment with bathroom and kitchen and sofa beds so that one or more people in an emergency situation can find refuge there for a few days while they find a permanent situation. (such as battered women, family whose house has burned down, etc.)
human relationships
joy
sharing
tolerance
future
This project aims to reduce our carbon footprint:
- the first store is 5km from the village. Some people even travel more than 20km to do their shopping. The creation of this grocery store have significantly reduce car journeys and therefore the CO2 emitted.
- some people are used to ordering remotely individually. They can now share their historical suppliers and place joint orders in order to limit the number of deliveries and therefore less
- the place serve as a collection point for vegetable baskets that 9 residents are used to picking up individually 6km away. Another CO2 gain
The producers we havve reference must have local, sustainable, organic and soil regenerating agricultural practices.
We can thus offer local and better remunerative outlets for farmers.
The wealth produced thus remains in the territory and serves the territory. This brings resilience.
The side events that we propose by the members are eco-responsible and promote the values of this project, namely : respect for humans and nature, which must be part of it unconditionally.
The same is apply to the artist programming (concert, movies, documentary, exhibition, etc.)
The equipment in the premises (table, chair, shelf, etc.) is second-hand or made from reused materials.
New objects are exceptional and limited to cases requiring them, such as compliance with health standards.
We use a building that has been disused for decades. So no anthropogenic use of new agricultural land.
- the first store is 5km from the village. Some people even travel more than 20km to do their shopping. The creation of this grocery store have significantly reduce car journeys and therefore the CO2 emitted.
- some people are used to ordering remotely individually. They can now share their historical suppliers and place joint orders in order to limit the number of deliveries and therefore less
- the place serve as a collection point for vegetable baskets that 9 residents are used to picking up individually 6km away. Another CO2 gain
The producers we havve reference must have local, sustainable, organic and soil regenerating agricultural practices.
We can thus offer local and better remunerative outlets for farmers.
The wealth produced thus remains in the territory and serves the territory. This brings resilience.
The side events that we propose by the members are eco-responsible and promote the values of this project, namely : respect for humans and nature, which must be part of it unconditionally.
The same is apply to the artist programming (concert, movies, documentary, exhibition, etc.)
The equipment in the premises (table, chair, shelf, etc.) is second-hand or made from reused materials.
New objects are exceptional and limited to cases requiring them, such as compliance with health standards.
We use a building that has been disused for decades. So no anthropogenic use of new agricultural land.
The grocery store / café is accessible to disabled people in accordance with current standards.
Everyone is welcome regardless of their origin, skin color, religion, political party, gender and even financial capacity. It is written in the association's statutes, so it is part of its identity.
Too many people are put aside or put themselves aside due to lack of money.
We defend a café where coffee is sold at the price it cost, no more, no less.
The same goes for a mint with water.
A family with several children is able to go out and see other families without worrying about their wallet and whether they are able to buy something other than legs at the end of the month...
With this project, buying a beer here or in the supermarket 5km away cost the same price (or less) but you are not drinking it alone!
The village elders, some of whom can no longer drive but can still walk, welcome this project with enthusiasm. They dont have to do the 2 hours per month but some already insist on doing so. This help them stay at home and simulate their brain capacity and therefore delay the onset of certain degenerative diseases.
For one person in particular, it helps her in her grieving process. She recently lost her husband, and the connections she made with the other members of the association helped her rediscover a certain joy in life.
With the help of games for children and the nearby pétanque field, all generations play together.
We have also set up a corner for them with furniture from the old school. And board games are available for them.
The rest of the decoration and furniture was entirely created by the residents using recycled materials (pallet bar, old frames, old plates, etc...)
It gives it such charm that we wonder how we're going to keep this warm atmosphere once the renovation is done.
Everyone is welcome regardless of their origin, skin color, religion, political party, gender and even financial capacity. It is written in the association's statutes, so it is part of its identity.
Too many people are put aside or put themselves aside due to lack of money.
We defend a café where coffee is sold at the price it cost, no more, no less.
The same goes for a mint with water.
A family with several children is able to go out and see other families without worrying about their wallet and whether they are able to buy something other than legs at the end of the month...
With this project, buying a beer here or in the supermarket 5km away cost the same price (or less) but you are not drinking it alone!
The village elders, some of whom can no longer drive but can still walk, welcome this project with enthusiasm. They dont have to do the 2 hours per month but some already insist on doing so. This help them stay at home and simulate their brain capacity and therefore delay the onset of certain degenerative diseases.
For one person in particular, it helps her in her grieving process. She recently lost her husband, and the connections she made with the other members of the association helped her rediscover a certain joy in life.
With the help of games for children and the nearby pétanque field, all generations play together.
We have also set up a corner for them with furniture from the old school. And board games are available for them.
The rest of the decoration and furniture was entirely created by the residents using recycled materials (pallet bar, old frames, old plates, etc...)
It gives it such charm that we wonder how we're going to keep this warm atmosphere once the renovation is done.
The development of the entire building is done with the residents who are members of the association.
They decide what to put in it and what to do there in addition to the grocery store and the café.
For now we have done :
A special corner for children with the old furniture from the municipal school closed since 1985.
Snacks for children every during holiday
An exhibition of old photos and postcards organized on opening day ( july 2025) and during an inter-municipal festival (august 2025)
A craft market in June 2025
We provided catering for the musical picnic during the intercommunal festival "Coeur Estival" in august 2025
Since this summer we have done on event per months :
A games/mussels/fries evening in September; a charity hike as part of the Pink October campaign; a disco/soup evening in November; a children's story reading, as well as a Christmas market with a visit from Santa Claus in December.
The year 2026 began with an art'eats event: local artists came to play music in a completely improvised style around a potluck buffet. This was followed by homemade sauerkraut cooked by our neighbor from the Ardennes. And most recently, we broadcast the Six Nations tournament matches.
We also organized activities for the village youth: Easter and Halloween in 2025, as well as Carnival this month.
Each time we have a minimum of 50 people, for the inter-municipal festival it was 450 people.
Other ideas are waiting to be implemented :
A photo exhibition of the protected wild orchids that we have in the town?
We have painting artists in the town. They will be able to exhibit, or even teach!
A wood-fired oven to bake pizzas, bread or pies?
A pool table? Pinball? Table football? Darts? Other games?
They are not short of ideas, just a place to make them happen...
Once again, they will be the ones who will decide TOGETHER.
They decide what to put in it and what to do there in addition to the grocery store and the café.
For now we have done :
A special corner for children with the old furniture from the municipal school closed since 1985.
Snacks for children every during holiday
An exhibition of old photos and postcards organized on opening day ( july 2025) and during an inter-municipal festival (august 2025)
A craft market in June 2025
We provided catering for the musical picnic during the intercommunal festival "Coeur Estival" in august 2025
Since this summer we have done on event per months :
A games/mussels/fries evening in September; a charity hike as part of the Pink October campaign; a disco/soup evening in November; a children's story reading, as well as a Christmas market with a visit from Santa Claus in December.
The year 2026 began with an art'eats event: local artists came to play music in a completely improvised style around a potluck buffet. This was followed by homemade sauerkraut cooked by our neighbor from the Ardennes. And most recently, we broadcast the Six Nations tournament matches.
We also organized activities for the village youth: Easter and Halloween in 2025, as well as Carnival this month.
Each time we have a minimum of 50 people, for the inter-municipal festival it was 450 people.
Other ideas are waiting to be implemented :
A photo exhibition of the protected wild orchids that we have in the town?
We have painting artists in the town. They will be able to exhibit, or even teach!
A wood-fired oven to bake pizzas, bread or pies?
A pool table? Pinball? Table football? Darts? Other games?
They are not short of ideas, just a place to make them happen...
Once again, they will be the ones who will decide TOGETHER.
From the very beginning of the project, the residents have been the driving force behind the renovation of this place. They created the association, they emptied, cleaned and redesigned the premises.
All members of the association collectively decide in general assemblies on upcoming events and investments.
Just like the products that are for sale in the grocery store
As a reminder, it is the members who take turns running the grocery store/café to ensure the 4 shifts per week.
We believe loud and clear that this is imperative to guarantee the sustainability of the project because even if a creative member disappears, the project will continue because it will belong to all its members, not just one!
All members of the association collectively decide in general assemblies on upcoming events and investments.
Just like the products that are for sale in the grocery store
As a reminder, it is the members who take turns running the grocery store/café to ensure the 4 shifts per week.
We believe loud and clear that this is imperative to guarantee the sustainability of the project because even if a creative member disappears, the project will continue because it will belong to all its members, not just one!
As mentioned above, all decisions are taken collectively by the members of the association.
To make decisions and especially to make good ones, we can count on the experience of "bouge ton coq", a national associatio, but not only.
In the surrounding area, other similar projects have emerged. We plan to go see them in a small group to find out what worked and what didn't work for them so as not to repeat the same mistakes.
Concerning the producers of the foodstuffs sold in the grocery store, a lot of research work is carried out so that the collaboration is local and profitable for all parties.
Good to know, the software offered and financed by "bouge ton coq" allows you to reference and share all the suppliers used by all the grocery stores already open.
Here in Haute Garonne we don't have champagne but we have good wine.
The Champegnoise grocery store will share its good tips for champagne and we will do the same for wine.
It's a win-win sharing.
"To finance the renovations, we will be applying for grants from several funding bodies:
the sub-prefecture, the departmental council, the Occitanie region, the inter-municipal grant fund, the family allowance fund, and the agency for territorial cohesion."
And if we are lucky enough to win this competition, we hope that the spotlight on this project will shine far beyond Europe...
To make decisions and especially to make good ones, we can count on the experience of "bouge ton coq", a national associatio, but not only.
In the surrounding area, other similar projects have emerged. We plan to go see them in a small group to find out what worked and what didn't work for them so as not to repeat the same mistakes.
Concerning the producers of the foodstuffs sold in the grocery store, a lot of research work is carried out so that the collaboration is local and profitable for all parties.
Good to know, the software offered and financed by "bouge ton coq" allows you to reference and share all the suppliers used by all the grocery stores already open.
Here in Haute Garonne we don't have champagne but we have good wine.
The Champegnoise grocery store will share its good tips for champagne and we will do the same for wine.
It's a win-win sharing.
"To finance the renovations, we will be applying for grants from several funding bodies:
the sub-prefecture, the departmental council, the Occitanie region, the inter-municipal grant fund, the family allowance fund, and the agency for territorial cohesion."
And if we are lucky enough to win this competition, we hope that the spotlight on this project will shine far beyond Europe...
This project involves several actors:
- municipal council and other actors of the political world
- residents regardless of their age and profession
- farmers
- producers
- merchants
- craftsmen
- artists
- media
- etc...
This diversity leads to a great diversity in the fields of expertise and the knowledge necessary for the realization of this project:
- project management
- psychology and human relations
- participatory management
- preparation of files for the subsidy and competitions ;)
- construction and DIY work
- collective catering
- etc...
Everyone are able to bring their personal touch according to their sensitivity and the expertise acquired.
They are seen and shared with other members who will enrich themselves intellectually and emotionally and improve their open-mindedness.
- municipal council and other actors of the political world
- residents regardless of their age and profession
- farmers
- producers
- merchants
- craftsmen
- artists
- media
- etc...
This diversity leads to a great diversity in the fields of expertise and the knowledge necessary for the realization of this project:
- project management
- psychology and human relations
- participatory management
- preparation of files for the subsidy and competitions ;)
- construction and DIY work
- collective catering
- etc...
Everyone are able to bring their personal touch according to their sensitivity and the expertise acquired.
They are seen and shared with other members who will enrich themselves intellectually and emotionally and improve their open-mindedness.
It is a place of life for the inhabitants that the inhabitants hold themselves. They are actors of their own future. They are the ones who make decisions TOGETHER.
They dont do it to earn money because the project is non-profit.
They do it to help each other in joy and good humor.
No one is left behind, even those who earn little and who cannot go to a classic café to have a beer with their friends.
In this café, the beer cost the same price (or less) than if you had bought it in the supermarket of the neighboring town.
And instead of drinking it alone at home, you are surrounded by your neighbors and other people that you would never have had the opportunity to meet...
An other particularity of this project is that the grocery store started with 0€ in the bank. It is the members of the association who pay money to top up their personal winnings that will be used to pay for their product.
But it is with the sums of their personal prize pools that the grocery store had place its first orders.
So the members pool their money!
The place is not only used for the grocery store and café. It is used for other associations in the village and surrounding areas.
To anyone wishing to set up a project.
And as mentioned above, to people in emergency situations.
They dont do it to earn money because the project is non-profit.
They do it to help each other in joy and good humor.
No one is left behind, even those who earn little and who cannot go to a classic café to have a beer with their friends.
In this café, the beer cost the same price (or less) than if you had bought it in the supermarket of the neighboring town.
And instead of drinking it alone at home, you are surrounded by your neighbors and other people that you would never have had the opportunity to meet...
An other particularity of this project is that the grocery store started with 0€ in the bank. It is the members of the association who pay money to top up their personal winnings that will be used to pay for their product.
But it is with the sums of their personal prize pools that the grocery store had place its first orders.
So the members pool their money!
The place is not only used for the grocery store and café. It is used for other associations in the village and surrounding areas.
To anyone wishing to set up a project.
And as mentioned above, to people in emergency situations.
First of all, to avoid having to make a profit like in a traditional business, we first made sure to have fixed costs reduced to a minimum: bank fees, insurance, management software and that's all.
The members of the association give 2 hours of their time to open the grocery store, so there is no salary to pay.
No rent either, because the building is lent free of charge by the town hall.
The electricity and water costs are also covered by the town hall.
Finally, we involve the residents from the beginning of the project.
They are the ones who choose the opening days and times.
They are the ones who choose the producers and the products that will be sold there.
They are the ones who tinker with the interior design with second-hand materials.
And they do it TOGETHER!
The more of them there are, the more open the place will be; it's a virtuous circle.
The members of the association give 2 hours of their time to open the grocery store, so there is no salary to pay.
No rent either, because the building is lent free of charge by the town hall.
The electricity and water costs are also covered by the town hall.
Finally, we involve the residents from the beginning of the project.
They are the ones who choose the opening days and times.
They are the ones who choose the producers and the products that will be sold there.
They are the ones who tinker with the interior design with second-hand materials.
And they do it TOGETHER!
The more of them there are, the more open the place will be; it's a virtuous circle.
This project is transposable because we ourselves are transposing it. Let me explain:
The association "ô bocaux thé" which is carrying out this project is supported by the association "bouge ton coq".
Bouge ton coq aims to support municipalities in creating associative grocery stores.
Since 2021, 70 have already opened and 140 are currently being created.
Bouge ton coq is funded by the French state and its approach is completely free for the municipalities and associations they support.
Better still, in addition to their engineering assistance, they help project leaders financially: a grant of €500 to finance the first equipment such as refrigerators, a coffee machine, etc. + €1,100 to finance the management software for the first 2 years.
They also help us to put together a grant application with the ANCT "Agence nationale de la coopération des territoires" which we would not have known about without them. The key is a grant of up to €50,000 for the renovation of the building that will house the grocery store.
The methodology therefore exists, and has already proven itself.
Each year, a national event brings together members of the various grocery stores already open in order to exchange ideas and create connections.
The other essential element is motivated human beings who share the values that such a project embodies. There are some everywhere around us, we just have to support them and give them a chance...
The association "ô bocaux thé" which is carrying out this project is supported by the association "bouge ton coq".
Bouge ton coq aims to support municipalities in creating associative grocery stores.
Since 2021, 70 have already opened and 140 are currently being created.
Bouge ton coq is funded by the French state and its approach is completely free for the municipalities and associations they support.
Better still, in addition to their engineering assistance, they help project leaders financially: a grant of €500 to finance the first equipment such as refrigerators, a coffee machine, etc. + €1,100 to finance the management software for the first 2 years.
They also help us to put together a grant application with the ANCT "Agence nationale de la coopération des territoires" which we would not have known about without them. The key is a grant of up to €50,000 for the renovation of the building that will house the grocery store.
The methodology therefore exists, and has already proven itself.
Each year, a national event brings together members of the various grocery stores already open in order to exchange ideas and create connections.
The other essential element is motivated human beings who share the values that such a project embodies. There are some everywhere around us, we just have to support them and give them a chance...
The association "o bocaux thé" was created in August 2024.
The association and the project were officially presented to the residents during the town hall's wishes on January 11, 2025.
A question café was organized on January 25 to find out the residents' opinions following the first presentation. At the same time, a questionnaire was distributed to the entire village.
A public meeting with the arrival of "Bouge ton coq" was held on February 11. We went into even more detail about the project and its expected operation. We also showed the results of the questionnaire.
The general assembly of "o bocaux thé" was is March 2025. 30 interested persons became officially members.
In April 2025 we have empty, tidy up, clean and briefly insulate the premises in order to be able to open the grocery store in degraded mode without waiting for the total renovation of the building.
We ware aiming for the first opening of the grocery store and the café in May 2025 but we finally open the 25 of jully
From the opening, we have done at least one event per month.
We are now 54 members.
Next steps :
Continue equipping the premises in order to be able to stock more local product references
Continue to build connections outside the village in order to become ever more numerous
At the end of 2026 the town hall will request subsidies for the total renovation from the usual financiers: the state, the region, the department and the intercommunality.
The place will therefore be fully functional for the summer of 2028, which is very very fast for a small town of 200 inhabitants.
If the subsidy rates are not sufficient and given the finances of the town, the inhabitants are already ready to give their time to renovate the premises themselves. This will once again lead to sharing, exchange of mutual aid and the development of new skills
Some are used to it since we renovated another smaller room (20m²) in this way in 2021-2022 to make it the premises of the associations
The association and the project were officially presented to the residents during the town hall's wishes on January 11, 2025.
A question café was organized on January 25 to find out the residents' opinions following the first presentation. At the same time, a questionnaire was distributed to the entire village.
A public meeting with the arrival of "Bouge ton coq" was held on February 11. We went into even more detail about the project and its expected operation. We also showed the results of the questionnaire.
The general assembly of "o bocaux thé" was is March 2025. 30 interested persons became officially members.
In April 2025 we have empty, tidy up, clean and briefly insulate the premises in order to be able to open the grocery store in degraded mode without waiting for the total renovation of the building.
We ware aiming for the first opening of the grocery store and the café in May 2025 but we finally open the 25 of jully
From the opening, we have done at least one event per month.
We are now 54 members.
Next steps :
Continue equipping the premises in order to be able to stock more local product references
Continue to build connections outside the village in order to become ever more numerous
At the end of 2026 the town hall will request subsidies for the total renovation from the usual financiers: the state, the region, the department and the intercommunality.
The place will therefore be fully functional for the summer of 2028, which is very very fast for a small town of 200 inhabitants.
If the subsidy rates are not sufficient and given the finances of the town, the inhabitants are already ready to give their time to renovate the premises themselves. This will once again lead to sharing, exchange of mutual aid and the development of new skills
Some are used to it since we renovated another smaller room (20m²) in this way in 2021-2022 to make it the premises of the associations
