UW Toulouse. Good people, good places.

Our series of sharing everyday stories from our global community continues. This time it’s the good people, good places in Toulouse, the location of our newest Partnership Store. 

On our recent trip to Toulouse we went to see our completed Partnership Store for the first time in real life. Each Partnership Store is shaped by where it is and by the people behind it, trusted friends and partners who know the place properly, and know their communities better than we ever could. In the case of our Toulouse store, that person is Jérôme, founder of Mr Sunbell Store, a long‑time stockist and someone who knows the city inside out. 

We spent some time with the team there and met and visited some of the other business owners in the area. Our new neighbours, who let us in on why this particular area of Toulouse is so special. 

What resulted was a day spent soaking up the city by way of a café, a guitar shop, hair salon and ramen restaurant (plus everything in between), all just a short walk from our new space.

First up, a batch brew at Café La Fiancée. The first speciality coffee shop in Toulouse (likely one of the first in France to offer an oat flat white), La Fiancée opened in 2012 when owners Olivier (pictured) and Arnaud had the idea to bring the café culture they’d discovered on their travels in Paris and Montreal back to Toulouse.

”After 14 years in business, I still see the same familiar faces..”—Olivier, Café La Fiancée.

A coffee to go from their Rue Peyrolières location is the ideal start to a meander down to the Garonne river, a historic route with plenty of bookshops and stores along the way.

One of those stores is Valley & Blues, a guitar shop run by Serge, who is a bit of a local legend. He designs, hand-makes, fixes and sells guitars and their accessories, as well as being the go-to spot since 1983 for artists stopping off in Toulouse on the French leg of a tour. His customers over the years include Lenny Kravitz, Eric Clapton, Paul Stanley and the Gallagher brothers, which gives you an idea of how well-respected Serge is in the industry.

“It has been an incredible experience, full of unforgettable encounters.”—Serge, Valley & Blues Guitar Shop.

After all that walking, we were ready to tuck in to ramen, katsu and more at Yūjō. Giving people a taste of Tokyo without leaving Toulouse, Yūjō, meaning “Friendship” in Japanese, opened in 2023. The owner and chef, Sullivan, trained under a ramen master in Japan, and he takes real pride in his methods and meals. He’s a huge part of the food culture here.

“Over the past few years, together with other restaurateurs, we’ve helped create a real Asian street food scene here. It happened naturally, and it’s great to see.”—Sullivan, Yūjō Ramen.

Elsewhere in the square, Jérôme took us into La Bibent, which opened in 1861 and has been an iconic part of Toulouse ever since. The ornate interior has listed status, and the team there kindly let us take some photographs behind their bar, said to be the first place in France to serve draught beer. Iconic indeed...

Up an equally impressive staircase in the same building is Marion Gautier, a high-end salon that demonstrates the French reputation for great design.

Located on the top floor of a historical listed building, the team build their own community through their clients, which include those that run the businesses on the ground below. Prioritising serenity over daily hustle and bustle, their pristine space has one of the most impressive views of the city, overlooking the square. And if that wasn’t enough, accessed by another spiral staircase, salon owner Gaultier took us up onto a tiny roof terrace, overlooking the whole city of Toulouse.

“We wanted to create a warm space with soft colours; something different from more traditional salons. We chose an upstairs space because we were looking for light, and somewhere more intimate.”—Gautier, Marion Gautier salon.

This is what we're hoping to be a part of in Toulouse. Not just another shop, but something that belongs here the same way these places do.