2 new 'Auberge Espagnoles' incubators: further support for retailers

Five years after opening the first ‘Auberge Espagnole’ pop-up store in Etterbeek and one year after setting up the one located in Saint-Gilles, hub.brussels is launching not only one, but two new incubators this end of the year! The first one is based in Jette while the second one is settled in Woluwe-St-Lambert – first step of a nomadic ‘Auberge’ that will change location every six months.  

Conceived in 2016, the Auberge Espagnole incubator is offering an individual support as well as a lower-cost commercial space in Brussels. Applicants are given the opportunity to work as a retailer in a specific location and give their concept and products a try before realizing (or not) long-term investments. 

Coping with a considerable demand

According to the results of our survey (FR) conducted last spring, the current crisis does not weaken Brussels’ entrepreneurial thinking.

To meet the growing entrepreneurs-applicants’ demand, hub.brussels, together with the involved municipalities, expanded its individual support service by opening two new ‘Auberges Espagnoles’ pop-up stores.

2 ‘Auberges’: 2 different status

A few days ago, the ‘Auberge Espagnole Jette’ pop-up store opened at 22 Leon Theodor, near the Miroir square. The commercial space will be used until the end of January 2022 by d’Almeida House of Socks selling socks made in Portugal.

The ‘Auberge Espagnole Woluwe-Saint-Lambert’ pop-up store, located at 342-344 Georges Henri avenue, welcomed Slo.li in early December. Slo.li’s concept is a sustainable option for interior design. The store will make use of the commercial space until the end of March 2022.

The nomadic aspect, a great novelty!

If the ‘Auberge’ in Jette follows in its two big sisters’ footsteps, the one located in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert is, for its part, a nomadic incubator. It will travel from municipality to municipality every 6 to 7 months, each time making use of a vacant space and thus helping tackle commercial vacancy.

The nomadic ‘Auberge’ offers an additional opportunity: at the end of the ‘incubator adventure’, the applicants will be given the chance to definitely occupy the commercial space they were provided with. Located in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert until June 2022, its next stop will be Anderlecht.

Incubators as the leading concept of current and future trends in trade

hub.brussels currently owns 5 commercial incubators, including 1 exclusively dedicated to the horeca sector (Kokotte). After 5 years of incubation, a total of 1600 hours of individual support services and the organization of 55 events, hub.brussels has received only positive feedbacks:

• The applicant satisfaction rating reaches 84%;
• 100 % of the entrepreneurs-applicants said they would have no hesitation embarking on the adventure once again;
• 18 out of 26 applicants selected (69%) opened their own shop since the end of their ‘incubator adventure’.