HELLO EVERYONE!!!

What can I say.... As some of you may have seen on social media, the ceiling of our basement collapsed on Tuesday, February 26 around noon.
On Wednesday the 27th, after visits from architects, building engineers, the fire brigade, etc., we learned that the floor or even the building might collapse.
A formal order to declare the property at risk will be issued by the town hall.



So, we've lost everything (except hope)!!

To date, no expert has been appointed by the insurers (ours, the building manager's and the owner's) because each one thinks they are not responsible.
In the meantime we are stuck in the middle of all this, without premises, without money and chasing everyone to assert our rights. And when you're just ordinary people and have to fight an SCI (our landlord who owns many commercial premises) and a management company, it's complicated!!!

Beyond the financial investment (Farid put all his savings), we put our hearts, our guts, our hopes into this project!! We were working 15 hours a day to make this place our home, your home.
It was our baby but we shared it with our customers, some of whom became friends. We wanted people to feel at home there whatever their origin, color, gender, religion, age. We loved seeing people interact who on the surface you might think had nothing in common, and yet….
Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes.



We did our best to offer high-quality, organic and ethical products to our customers. We tried to change people's consumption habits, to make them consumer-actors.
It was a joy to meet small producers and promote their products to our clientele.
We loved chatting with our customers (we're talkative), sharing, learning and advising (especially me about sanitary pads lol, I bored you).




And this event came to spoil the peacefulness of the place!

How can people put lives in danger just out of greed?!!! It's horrible to act like that.


Many of you sent messages of support and asked us to create a fundraiser, or wanted to create one yourselves. We didn't want to because we told ourselves it would be resolved and that other people were more in need than us.

But now we have no choice, we've lost everything and we don't even know what to do!!! (And several fundraisers were about to be created to support us)

In addition to having no money, we have expenses related to the collapse (administrative, bailiffs, experts, lawyers...) and fixed costs (taxes, fees, charges...). We are completely lost among these sharks.

This situation could last months or even a year or two because there will be lawsuits between the management company and the owner and between the insurers. And during that time, we won't be able to be compensated by our insurance, for lack of a guilty party!!!
And we can't even look for another premises in the meantime because it's impossible for us to pay a security deposit, renovations and rent!!


Honestly, my heart is broken writing these words.
I knew you could lose everything in a second but here we are living it and even though we remain hopeful and know that something good will come of it, it hurts!!!
I feel even more sorrow for Farid who had invested his last savings in this project and who for the second time loses everything (former partners had already swindled him), but we're two in this story so we support each other and move forward together.


If you read to the end, I'm sorry for the long message, even though I tried to be concise!
I needed to say what was on my heart and even then, I held back.


I want to thank our customers, our neighbors, the people who shared our misadventures on social networks, the people who sent us messages of support and offers of help!!! If only you knew how much it touches us and helps us hold on!!!!
May God reward you!!!!

Fraternally.

Virginie



Here is a short montage covering the last 3 days:
https://youtu.be/YevfL1PNNAE


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