Young entrepreneurs aged between 17 and 22 have opened several new businesses on Rue Maréchal-Foch in Argelès-Gazost, revitalising the French town's commercial center.
The new openings in the northern section of the street include a florist, an Asian takeaway caterer and a barber shop, raising shutters near the Casino mini-market and the Lavedan bar-tobacconist.
Florist and takeaway catering ventures
At 13 Rue Maréchal-Foch, 20-year-old Anaïs Souque launched her florist shop, Florette, on August 1, 2026, fulfilling a personal dream. Souque, who grew up in the neighboring village of Arcizans-Avant, said she had always wanted to work as a florist and was encouraged by her family to open the shop after the town center went several years without one.
Souque added that numerous customers have told her how much central Argelès-Gazost needed a local florist.
A few meters away at 15 Rue Maréchal-Foch, her friend Noah Hardy, 22, has been managing the takeaway Asian caterer Thaithana since the start of the summer. Hardy, a native of Argelès-Gazost, explained that the venture operates as a branch of the Chez Ly restaurant in Lourdes.
Staff prepare all items at the Lourdes restaurant each morning before delivering them for daytime sales in Argelès-Gazost. The shop sells sushi, spring rolls and bò bún, with plans to introduce phô soups to the menu during the winter season.
Teenage barber and clothing store takeover
The recent commercial activity follows earlier youth investment on the same block, where 24-year-old local Arnaud Da Silva took over the Nicole ready-to-wear clothing store two years ago.
Further along the street at 38 Rue Maréchal-Foch, 17-year-old Elian Balara opened his salon, La Caverne du Barber, on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. Balara launched the enterprise shortly after earning his vocational baccalaureate in hairdressing.
Established traders welcome new energy
Long-standing business owners along the thoroughfare welcomed the influx of young traders. Audrey, a hairdresser who operates a nearby salon, said her business was previously flanked by two vacant storefronts and noted that the street has become visibly more active.
Across the street, Nadine, owner of the home decor shop Déco des Gaves, expressed similar relief. She said local merchants are always pleased to see shop shutters opening rather than closing, describing the new arrivals as polite, motivated young people willing to take risks.
At 78 years old, Marie-Josée Béar, the senior shopkeeper on the street and owner of the Phildar knitting yarn and clothing shop, also praised the developments. Béar stated that local residents must make room for the younger generation, calling them the driving engine for the town's future.
Béar warned that residents must support the new shopkeepers by buying locally, stating that town center commerce will otherwise cease to exist.
