Balmorée Arts Boutique in Tabarka

I've said for many years that the best way to be a successful small business owner as an expat is to find the small niche that expats want but doesn't exist in that place--and fill that need.  Take the American Breakfast Diner in Paris.  The founder loved Paris but missed getting to eat american breakfast food (with a bottomless cup of joe) all day long.  So he started his own.  And it's one of the most popular places for expats to eat in Paris (and I've seen quite a few Frenchies there as well.)  In Tunis, there is a small little place on the side of the highway called Le Petit Coin de France ("The small corner of France") that sells locally raised pork products, including bacon.  In a Muslim country, that's a big deal.  I asked the woman if, when Americans walk in, she knows, "one kilo of bacon," she finished my sentence for me.  Yep.  She found the missing niche and filled it.

Well, Tabarka still doesn't have an american breakfast diner or a pork butcher, but...it is a beautiful corner of the country that tourists come to.  And what more do tourists want than a souvenir to take home to remember their beautiful getaway?  Balmorée Arts found that missing niche and filled it.

Sure, you can find other shops that sell the regular tourist souvenir, and beautiful ones at that.  This place sells locally made artwork.  Bags, quilts, blankets, photographs, and paintings.  

Some of it is Tunisia based.

Some of it is Tabarka based.

Kids can crash on the couch while parents look at the artwork and talk with the owner.

He also teaches how to paint.

Mr. Legit told me Tabarka could always use a quilting quild.  Ha.  I suppose between photos and quilts, I do have a few pieces of artwork that could sell at Balmorée.  Maybe one day.