In just three months, Rua Gourmet, in Teixeira de Freitas, has established itself as one of the main gastronomy, leisure and income generation venues in the town. The project, located in Bíblia Square, in the town’s center, is a public-private partnership (PPP). The government was responsible for revitalizing and covering the square and installing the floor, while local business owners financed the construction of the food stalls with financial support from Suzano, a company that is a global benchmark for the manufacture of bioproducts developed from planted eucalyptus.
According to the president of the Association of Business Owners of Rua Gourmet (ASCORG, in Portuguese), Lucitânia de Souza Susmickat, the organization received R$60,000 from Suzano’s Project Office to build the food stalls, benefiting 30 small associated business owners.
“Before, we used to work in tents in the square, as street vendors. Now, each member has his/her own stall, which has improved our working conditions. Sales have increased significantly, and some associates have already doubled their number of employees,” said Lucitânia, adding that the venue offers food from a variety of cuisines, as well as live music, every Thursday and Friday, performed by local artists.
Businesswoman Lucilene Pereira Rocha is the owner of Dogão da Lene, located in stall #2. She said that she has worked selling food in the square for over 20 years and celebrated the new facility. “This is something we had been asking for. Rua Gourmet provides more comfort not only for us, but also for our customers. Business has increased significantly, and I currently employ two people,” she said.
Andreone dos Santos Souza, a Social Development coordinator at Suzano, said that support for the association is aligned with the company’s social commitment. “In partnership with local actors and civil society organizations, we develop income generation projects in our neighboring communities, increasing food security, empowerment and financial autonomy, and strengthening sustainable local businesses that have always been part of the local culture,” he added.
Opened in October 2023, Rua Gourmet has 32 stalls, a food court and a stage for artistic performances. The venue was built in an area of 5,000 square meters, is 75 meters long and has an airy and modern floor plan, designed by architect Maicon Rios. The Town of Teixeira de Freitas was responsible for the entire engineering project, as well as its supervision.
The Municipal Secretary of Economic Development, Science, Technology and Tourism, Maxsoely Brito, coordinates and monitors the business owners within Rua Gourmet. She said that the venue is a driver of regional economic development. “This project was conceived many years ago and finally became reality. The initiative is a way of leveraging the town’s economic development, especially by focusing on small business owners, giving them the opportunity to grow and create jobs,” she said.