Le Supermarché Collaboratif de la Louve

<p> The place we wanted to shop at didn’t exist, so we thought : <strong>Why not create our own supermarket all by ourselves? Not a little boutique… But a full-blown supermarket</strong>.<strong> </strong>We can do it.</p> <p>  </p> <p> Who are “we” ?</p> <p>  </p> <p> 1) Humble residents from the Paris area who believe that they can do a better job creating a place to buy food that reflects their ideals in terms of quality, agriculture and commerce.</p> <p>  </p> <p> 2) You, we hope.</p> <p>  </p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>A little history : </strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>2010</strong> : Tom and Brian, <strong>two American gourmets in Paris</strong>, both very sensitive to the <strong>quality and price</strong> of the food they eat, decide to start a kind of crazy project, “La Louve”. The concept is a new one in France: a food coop inspired and supported by the <strong>Park Slope Food Coop</strong> in Brooklyn (a very dynamic Coop with over 16,000 members).</p> <p>  </p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Closing_18" height="320" src="https://kkbb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/project_image/image/44883/closing_18.jpg" width="572"></p> <p>  </p> <p> See a short movie presenting it here:</p> <p>  </p> <p> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="405" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/RwRG6stOIOI?wmode=opaque&amp;feature=oembed" width="540"></iframe></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Spring 2011</strong> : Talking up their project here and there, many people with the same concerns about the food they eat join them in the two following years. That’s when they start the <strong>buying club</strong> and association called <strong>“Les Amis de la Louve”</strong>, whose goal is the creation of a <strong>big collaborative supermarket</strong> called “La Louve”. (“Louve” means “she-wolf”. A terrible name for a supermarket in English, but very pretty to say and hear in French!)</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>2012-2013</strong> : The project keeps growing, wolf packs start to be organized, and la Louve gets more and more support, most importantly from <strong>the City of Paris and the 18th “arrondissement”</strong>.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>December 2013</strong> : The <strong>Buying club</strong> will move from the suburb of Bagnolet to its new location in the <strong>18th arrondissement</strong> of Paris, the neighborhood of our future supermarket.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Ladder_front_9" height="322" src="https://kkbb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/project_image/image/45473/ladder_front_9.jpg" width="572"></p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Our principles  :</strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> Ensuring the <strong>great quality</strong> of products selected with very <strong>high standards</strong> in terms of <strong>taste, nutrition and freshness</strong>, La Louve supports <strong>farmers and producers</strong> engaged in environmentally responsible, ethical practices.</p> <p>  </p> <p> A <strong>non-profit</strong> association, la Louve seeks <strong>transparency</strong> in all its actions : purchasing, sales, management and administration. It is managed and governed by its members who are responsible for providing the<strong> volunteer labor </strong>(with the help of a few salaried employees) for all the <strong>daily tasks</strong> necessary for the smooth running of the supermarket.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Concretely,</strong> this means that all members have to work <strong>3 hours every 3 months</strong> for the buying club, and <strong>2h45mins every 4 weeks</strong> as soon as the supermarket opens (See our FAQ).</p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Morning_workers_3" height="316" src="https://kkbb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/project_image/image/45477/Morning_workers_3.jpg" width="563"></p> <p>  </p> <p> This <strong>model based on volunteer labor</strong> allows us to have <strong>low margins</strong>— and hence <em>very</em> reasonable prices on food for our members— while at the same time paying a <strong>fair price to our farmers and producers</strong>. The idea of eating better, for less money, while respecting both producers and the environment has a universal appeal. This is why La Louve is committed to making the its collaborative supermarket <strong>accessible to all</strong>. One of our top priorities is to meet the diverse culinary needs of our immediate neighborhood… and beyond.</p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>La Louve will also be :</strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> - a place to learn about current food-related issues</p> <p>  </p> <p> - a place to exchange and share over good food</p> <p>  </p> <p>  </p> <p> <img alt="Louve_seule_hd" height="205" src="https://kkbb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/project_image/image/44924/LOUVE_Seule_HD.jpg" width="205"></p> <p>  </p> <p>  </p> <p> <strong>Some of our Helpers :</strong></p> <p>  </p> <p> Our <strong>sourcing committee </strong>is constantly searching for <strong>new products</strong>, <strong>visiting farms</strong>, <strong>meeting producers</strong>, and receiving the <strong>advice of different experts.</strong> We would particularly like to thank <strong>Antoine Jacobsohn</strong>, the head of the famous <strong>"Potager du Roi"</strong> at Versailles (The French national "Ivy League" school for gardening) who directs them to the greatest local <strong>fruit and vegetable</strong> producers and <strong>Xavier Thuret,</strong> named by the French government as the best <strong>cheesemonger</strong> in France ("<strong>Meilleur Ouvrier de France</strong>"). And for <strong>wines</strong>, our expert is none other than <strong>Tom Boothe</strong>, long-time <strong>wine buyer</strong> in the US and <strong>co-founder of la Louve</strong>.</p> <p>  </p> <p> This assembly of an <strong>“advisory board”</strong> is just beginning. Many other ‘experts’ in other domains will soon be joining us.</p> <p>  </p>