The village of Sainte-Lizaigne had up to three cafes. We’re talking to you about a different time that those under twenty may not know what the song sounds like. Le Cabri, run by Jean-Jacques and Marianne Sausset, was the last of the three cafes to close in 2010. Then came the turn of the butcher and bakery. Today, the town of 1,200 inhabitants, ten minutes from Issoudun, no longer has a single local business, the town hall provides a bread warehouse.
In order to remedy this situation, in 2022, the council set up a cafe in the former municipal workshop with a large square counter, a room that can fit about fifty tablecloths and a fully equipped kitchen. The cost of the operation, which benefited from subsidies from the state and the ministry: 180,000 euros.
A place to live for residents
” The goal is to create a meeting place for residents », explains Pascal Pauvrehomme, the mayor of the city who took care of the purchase of the Cabri IV license when it was closed. The opening of the site coincided with the launch of One Thousand Cafes, which is run by the SOS group and supported by the government, and whose ambition is to reopen cafes in towns with up to 3,500 inhabitants.
After an initial experience that lasted only a few months and ended in June 2023, the elected officials picked up their walking sticks and set out to find new managers. In this direction, steps were taken with the Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Economy and Industry and the Indre Attractiveness Agency.
Why not a bistronomic restaurant?
Meanwhile, the project has developed a bit. Pascal Pauvrehomme would see more than just coffee ” a bistronomic restaurant with the idea of reaching a wider audience than just the inhabitants of Sainte-Lizaigne and the services we have to imagine with the new managers “. The municipality makes the place available in exchange for a low rent.
The name L’Atelier chosen by the first managers will not be retained: ” It will be up to the new managers in conjunction with the city team to give the site a new identity according to the project. “, he continues. And quickly adds that the municipality could make the accommodation available to buyers who do not live nearby. Initial contacts have been established.
Additional spaces for reinvestment
The municipality is also looking for one or why not two project managers,” whatever they are », who would be interested in settling in the area of the former bakery along the D918, which also includes accommodation. This room 150 m2 the municipality bought in 2022.” It is not realistic to hope to install a new bakery, because it would not bring profit, but why not another activity? Sainte-Lizaigne is a corridor village. We’ve always made it a handicap, but I don’t believe it: it also means we’re a model village “, concludes Pascal Pauvrehomme.