It has been 70 years since the Municipal Market of Faro settled in its current location, at Largo Dr. Francisco Sá Carneiro. Around 3 thousand people pass through here every day and the aim is for the age groups to be increasingly diverse.
In the words of Henrique Gomes, president of the Board of Directors of Ambifaro, the entity that manages the Municipal Market, this is a place that «continues to signify the economic, commercial and even social development of the municipality», because «the market is not just a shopping center, but a place where people come together to talk and live together».
In an interview with Sul Informação, three days after the grand celebration of the Market's 70th anniversary, Henrique Gomes emphasizes that, no matter how many years pass, what people continue to look for in the markets is «authenticity, genuineness and the intrinsic flavor of local products» and, therefore, , the businesses that are being created here also meet these values.
«It's funny because we've had some requests from people in a slightly younger age group and that gives us some hope. We have also been doing this work, trying to find new operators who have businesses capable of attracting another type of public», he says, noting that this «is a challenge for all markets».
«A traditional market is made up of traditional audiences, but a market with a future is also made up of new audiences», he adds.
In this market, in addition to all the restaurant and commerce businesses, there is also a Citizen's Store, which, in the opinion of the president of Ambifaro, is “lucky”.
«A citizen who needs to deal with something or several problems in his life, comes here, and, in a morning or an afternoon, manages to solve them, ending up, perhaps, taking advantage of other facilities in the market or making purchases from the week, because we also have a large area here [Auchan]».
Asked about the challenges of this coexistence, the president of the market management entity says that "there is evidence" that the two aspects can coexist because "whoever wants to buy agricultural products with a certain origin comes to the producers" and for "another type of shopping for food, goes to large supermarkets».
Furthermore, the existence of a park and easy accessibility are, in Henrique Gomes' opinion, positive aspects for people to choose to go to the Municipal Market of Faro, which, year after year, “seeks to improve its facilities”.
Since June last year, theMarket ceiling repair bras, which, according to Henrique Gomes, «will almost be ready by the end of the year». The rooftop is also being restored and photovoltaic panels will be installed, the park will have a greenway and chargers for electric cars.
«All these things coming soon, some in the first quarter of next year and others in the second», he says to Sul Informação.
As for the terrace, the idea is that it can, in the future, host more events such as Açoteia Festival, which brought together almost a thousand people.
«We also want to look for other audiences that are not ours and bring cultural events here», says Nuno Miguel Silva, communications manager at Ambifaro.
As an example, Nuno Miguel Silva and Henrique Gomes refer to Sara Correia's concert, which took place last Friday, December 1st, to mark the 70th anniversary party of Mercado de Faro and which brought together more than three thousand people.
In addition to the spectacle, the 70th anniversary celebrations were marked by tributes to the Market's workers.
All operators and businesses that transitioned from the previous infrastructure to this one, without interruptions, as well as the mayors who contributed to the process until today, were given the “Market Key”, symbolizing the handover to the institution.
Representing the employees, João Sousa, from maintenance services, was also honored.
«In it we paid tribute to all Ambi employeesfaro. It was a particularly touching moment because everyone applauded standing up», says Henrique Gomes.
Nuno Miguel Silva also highlights the launch of new website and market image «respecting the history and process of transition and transformation».
With his eyes set on the future, Henrique Gomes also talks about the great challenges of managing a market with so many strengths.
«Faced with rising costs, the big challenge is to reach the end of the year by fulfilling an activity plan and presenting good accounts to shareholders. In 2023, for example, we had an increase in energy costs of around 400%, and this is a huge challenge», he concludes.
Currently, the market for Faro It has 66 operators, with only two stalls and one store free.
Photos: Cátia Rodrigues | Sul Informação
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