“I’m waiting in line to order and you get us two beers?” » It’s not even noon yet when the news Cartoucherie Halles of Toulouse are already bubbling this Wednesday. In the hubbub of a lunch break like in the canteen, the former 19th century munitions factory is teeming with hungry people and curious people. Barely open since Friday, these brand new halls aim to be the great place for gourmets.
“But what are we going to eat, Mom, in fact,” wonders little George, tiny in this enormous 13,500 m2 hangar. Attached to his mother’s hand, the child contemplates all the signs. With more than twenty counters, the question is, in fact, not so stupid. Argentinian, Vietnamese, French or Italian broth: there is something for everyone with 22 market stands, street foods and three bars on the 3,000 m2 of “the market square”. Everyone can order what they want and sit on the surrounding tables. None of them are assigned. To the good honesty.
“This concept is very nice. In Pau, there is the same thing and I like it because we are free and nothing is imposed on us,” explains Thibaut, a young freelance communications specialist, originally from Pau, who works just a stone’s throw from this giant refectory. Today, he came for the first time with his coworking colleagues to test it. “We preferred there to be fewer people and to see if it could become our future canteen,” continues Léa, helmet still screwed on her head, sitting quietly on the terrace to enjoy the Indian summer.
800 indoor seats
Conversely, traders run everywhere to serve customers. Stuck in costumes, brandishing a CHU badge, or slaloming with a scooter, the epicureans of the day sneak around to find a place. This is because the Halles de la Cartoucherie still includes 800 seats and 200 additional seats on the terrace.
Around 12:30 p.m., at lunch break time, the Halles were overwhelmed. The lines are getting longer and the tables are filling up. “The world is there. Now, we are missing more than just staff,” slips Julien between two orders. This manager of the Boniface lodge, specializing in seafood, has a permanent lease within the building, unlike other stands which will change every two years. The opportunity to improve in this new mode of commerce to be at the top. “We all need a few days to really get into the rhythm, that’s normal, but we do everything to be good! », enthuses the manager.
“I wanted to try it more peacefully”
Nicole, Enzo and Thierry patiently wait for their meal on the go between burritos, spring rolls and pizzas. “I had a ceviche and I’m waiting for my girlfriend who orders broth. I’m too tired,” says Mathilde, a young business student who came expressly by tram for the occasion. “Friday, I was there, but there were too many people. There, I wanted to try it more in peace,” adds this epicurean, who patiently waits for her friend to devour her dish next to strangers with whom she shares the table.
When it’s time to return to work, everyone puts away their plate, sorts their waste and leaves quietly to return to their daily lives after a light and delicious break.
A real success for the Halles which welcomed nearly 100,000 people this weekend for the opening, accompanied by the Rugby World Cup. To the great dismay of neighboring restaurateurs, moreover… “We suspected that the first weeks were going to be complicated. It’s the effect of novelty and curiosity with a concept that always pleases,” explains Alexandre, waiter at the restaurant Les Munitionnettes, a stone’s throw from Les Halles. His terrace is almost empty, just like the interior… “We’re waiting to see but it should return to normal all the same,” he reassures himself. It must be said that the opening had been awaited for seven years.
In the heart of the Cartoucherie eco-district, which today has some 6,000 inhabitants, this food place has much more to offer: a hybrid sports hall covering 2,000 m2, a climbing wall, a future concert hall. It is a real third place which has opened up to Toulouse residents.