Dax Fair 2025: Bodega Coeur, “to honor the lives of two extraordinary beings”

This temporary venue will open on the ground floor of the Bastiat building. The family of the former rugby international and the architect in charge of the building's renovation are seeking to raise funds for two charities.

Putting their heart into the work during this 2025 edition of the Dax Feria. This is what the "sixty people" involved in the Bodega Coeur have begun to do. Located at number 20 Cours Foch, the address of this temporary venue facing the Atrium is still known for having housed the insurance offices of Jean-Pierre Bastiat.

"It was the year or never to do something," emphasizes Frédéric Bastiat. With his sister Marylis and their mother Yayée, the son of the former US Dax rugby international – who passed away in February 2021 – had the idea of taking advantage of the renovation of the family building. And to install a charitable bodega on the ground floor, from this coming Wednesday, August 13th to Sunday, August 17th.

“It was the year or never to do something”

All profits will be donated to two associations based in the South West: France AVC 40 , which supports stroke victims and their loved ones, and Summit of My Heart , which raises funds to help with surgical treatment for children with heart disease from disadvantaged families.

The choice of these beneficiaries was not made by chance, as Frédéric Bastiat explains with restraint: "It was a stroke that killed Jean-Pierre and a fainting spell took Cerise away." The 13-year-old girl, who died on December 28 while skiing in Gourette , is the daughter of the architect responsible for the renovation of the building.

"When Frédo asked me, just a few weeks ago, if it was possible to build a bodega in this completely cleaned-up building, it took me a while to answer him," confides Sandra Forest, Cerise's mother. It obviously wasn't the architectural question that was posing a problem for the head of Studio 30.02. "I spoke about it to Aglaé, my other daughter, and to their father (former rugby player Jean-Philippe Bonrepaux, editor's note). Jean-Pierre and Cerise didn't know each other: it had to make sense."

Because they are both "the type to rise to challenges," Sandra Forest and Frédéric Bastiat finally agreed on the relevance of this Bodega Coeur, launched "to honor the lives of two extraordinary people." Originally from Saint-Paul-lès-Dax, the architect cites as an example the kind support provided by Jean-Pierre Bastiat during the opening of Studio 30.02 in Soorts-Hossegor, eight years ago: "He had the gift of bringing people together."

The co-founders of Bodega Coeur seem to be cut from the same cloth. "While they were in the middle of construction, all the craftsmen embraced the idea: air conditioning was even installed!" notes Sandra Forest. In addition to the logo designed by his niece, Elsa Camiade, the architect invited artists Baptiste Pauthe and Roch Tastet to come and graffiti the walls of the premises' hundred square meters.

To liven up the venue, which is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., various DJs have been announced, including Dame Fleuraux on Saturdays. "We're bringing in the charcoal oven. We're closing the restaurant and going there for five days!" enthuses Arnaud Laborde. The chef at Toa, a daring restaurant in the Pédebert area of Soorts-Hossegor , will be offering some of his specialties.

World cuisine lovers should enjoy "eggplant caviar, falafel, Thai-style squid, satay chicken, crying tiger beef, etc." The gourmet coast will also be flooding into the Dax Feria with the clean wines selected by Pierre Bouen's Vins de la forêt in Soorts-Hossegor, and David Mensan's De la cave au garde-manger in Capbreton. Ideal for toasting in glasses adorned with a message: "To life!"