City Hall inaugurates the New São José Market, in Laranjeiras

Rio de Janeiro City Hall opened the New São José Market in Laranjeiras this Sunday (September 21st) after being closed for seven years. The gastronomic and cultural hub in the South Zone reopens with 16 businesses, including organic produce, cheese, signature pastries, Arabic cuisine, specialty coffee, artisanal pasta, vegan ice cream, fermented ice cream, bars, and restaurants. The space will be open Tuesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and will sell products and offer snacks and drinks throughout the day.

"Mercadinho São José is part of the soul of Rio and couldn't remain abandoned. It's beautiful. It's great to return this space to the people of Rio after seven years of neglect, completely remodeled but without losing its essence. It's a restored cultural heritage that will boost the local economy. We will continue revitalizing various spaces throughout the city," said Mayor Eduardo Paes.

The reopening included an expanded edition of the Junta Local market and a chorinho performance. Since 1944, the market has been part of a series of Rio de Janeiro community spaces named after saints—Saint Sebastian, Saint Benedict, Saint Raphael, Saint Luke, Saint Paul—all built on the ideal of creating places for community gathering and belonging. Its designation as a Rio Cultural Heritage site in 1994 reinforced its value as a cultural and architectural heritage site.

 

Closed since 2018, when the National Social Security Institute (INSS) judicially repossessed the property, Mercadinho São José, as it is popularly known, is being reborn after the Rio de Janeiro City Hall purchased the building and adjacent land in 2023 for R$3 million. The Companhia Carioca de Parcerias e Investimentos (CCPar) launched a 60-day public call for proposals with three participating groups. The consortium, led by Engeprat and curated by Junta Local, was selected to manage the space for the next 25 years.

"It's very important to have good examples. This is a good example of how the public sector and the private sector can work together to restore heritage, bring quality spaces to the city, restore a bit of history, and offer leisure activities to the population. It was an abandoned property that the City Hall purchased from the Federal Government. The grocery store has been so many things over time, and now we'll have a neighborhood space, with local producers, artisans, gastronomy, leisure, and culture within the initial concept of the grocery store," said Secretary of Economic Development Osmar Lima.

The 16 businesses are divided into 11 stalls, two stores, and three restaurants, all in air-conditioned spaces. In addition to the property that had always been the grocery store, a three-story building (with an elevator) and an outdoor terrace were added. The producers' stalls are located in the original building, while the restaurants/bars are located on the second and third floors of the annex.

 

In addition to bringing the projects to the New São José Market, the consortium also restored the site's historical relics, such as a centuries-old water fountain that was completely restored, and the tiles depicting the image of Saint Joseph, which were fully restored and replaced on the facade.

"We are very happy with the opening of the market. It was a dream to bring it back, operating as a gastronomic and cultural center in the neighborhood. It's a place of great importance to the city of Rio and the Laranjeiras neighborhood. Our experience with the market allowed us to choose, based on the Local Board's mission, small producers to operate here. Our idea is for the market's restaurants to use products from these small producers," stated Natalia Arica, Community Director of the Local Board.

Renata Gebara, a partner at Gebar, an Arabic food bar, celebrated the opportunity to bring her business to Novo Mercado São José.

"This is a unique opportunity. First, because I'm working with my family, bringing our history to the table. The grocery store is an incredible project; the renovation is beautiful, and the curation is fantastic. The Local Board did a great job. We're optimistic it will be a success. My cousin has been a chef for many years, and I've worked in the restaurant industry for over ten years. The idea for Gebar came from my grandmother's recipe books. We gathered them all and translated what we saw, mainly through emotional memories, into our menu."

The São José Market

The São José Market building served as slave quarters and a barn on a farm located in Guinle Park during the Empire. Its inauguration as a market took place on May 31, 1944, when then-President Getúlio Vargas decided to adapt its stalls to create a location that could provide more affordable food to the population during World War II.

After decades of neglect since the 60s, the market underwent a revitalization in 1988 and was declared a cultural heritage site in 1994. It eventually became a traditional spot for Rio's bohemian scene. However, over time, the market's infrastructure began to deteriorate, and it closed in 2018.

Category:

• CCPar
• Economic development
• News

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