Costa Rica was chosen as the first country in Latin America to implement the new concept of Subway restaurants. This new model will be inaugurated on Wednesday, November 15, with the assistance of senior officials of the corporation at a regional level, who will expand the details of the restaurant of the future, the evolution in the business model, from the visual, technological, experience for ...

Longer commutes, busier parents, lack of safe and accessible recreation, combined with ready access to junk food and fast foods has made life for Costa Rican school kids more sedentary and filled with greater risks for obesity, and later development of diabetes and other consequences. The 2017 School Weight and Height Survey, conducted by the Costa Rican Ministry of Health in conjunction with t...

An outdoor, casual environment for lunch, dinner, and afternoon snacks invites diners in Curridabat to a newly opened food truck park in this eastern San José, Costa Rica suburb called "Food Truck Park Calle Vieja" With seven trucks, that include a minibar and an ice cream cart, the eateries are open seven days a week from 11:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. Diners can sit in roofer corridors alongside...

Foodie Tours invites gastronomy lovers to experience a sensory experience in different parts of Costa Rica. Whether you are a gourmet or not, these tours will be sure to educate and entertain through visits to restaurants and interactions between chefs and participants to learn about the foods used, their history, and the traditions surrounding the dishes. "We want attendees to learn about and...

Così, the Boston, Massachusetts-based fast-casual restaurant chain known for its homemade flatbread, opens its eighth eatery in Costa Rica this Friday, November 10. The new Così locale will be inaugurated in the northern San José suburb of Guadalupe, in the canton of Goicoechea, at the Distrito Uno shopping plaza. Situated next to Distrito Uno's new Auto Mercado grocery store, Così in Guadal...

Costa Rican Minister of Foreign Trade Alexander Mora was in Miami, Florida last week for the VII International Banana Congress organized by Costa Rica's Corporación Bananera Nacional (Corbana). Participants spanned those involved in the entire value chain, from production to sale, of the fruit, and included at least 600 representatives from 40 countries. Bananas were one of the products that...

Cocoa cultivated in Costa Rica, especially in the northern Upala region bordering with Nicaragua, continues to be one of the best in the world. "There are four aspects that help to obtain a superior quality of chocolate. Among them, the correct genetics - and in Costa Rica there are excellent varieties - and also the post-harvest process, roasting, and conching. We have made notable progress in p...

Subway Costa Rica and the non-profit housing initiative, TECHO, have joined to aid children living in extreme poverty in Guararí de Heredia. Subway Costa Rica teamed up with TECHO on an initiative called: “Para vos, para alguien más, y los que más lo necesitan,” "For you, for someone else, and those who need it most." The company will donate US$20,000 to TECHO for the construction of a new m...

Even McDonald's knows it pays to buy local. At least 60 farms in Cartago, Costa Rica supply the U.S. fast food chain's network of 55 restaurants with over 27 tons of vegetables each month. "As a global brand, we are proud to support national producers who represent more than 60 percent of the suppliers with whom we work in Costa Rica. Most of the products on our menu have vegetables, which gen...

17 of Costa Rica’s best chefs will be preparing delicious dishes during the gastronomy fair Juntos por Costa Rica (Together for Costa Rica) on Friday, November 10 at the Campo Lago Club in Lindora, Santa Ana; all proceeds to benefit those affected by tropical storm Nate. The attending public will be able to visit the stands with different options of food, from vegetarian dishes to deliciously p...

The artisan or craft beer business continues to grow and strengthen in Costa Rica; recently, several artisan breweries participated in the international competition “Copa Cervezas de America” (America Beers Cup) that took place in Santiago de Chile and had the participation of many Latin American brewers. Copa Cervezas de América was born in 2011 and is now one of the most important beer compe...

The U.S.-based franchise Buffalo Wild Wings (also known as B-Dubs) announced an interest in setting up shop in Costa Rican market in 2018, and hopes to find some local business partners to get things rolling. Over the past 35 years, B-Dubs has grown steadily and now has a presence in 50 U.S. states. The eatery and sports bar franchise also operates in Canada, Mexico, Panama, the Philippines, th...

If travel takes you to the balmy town of Grecia, best known for its miles of used car dealerships at the entrance to the town and located about 30 minutes west of San José, you can now indulge in your favorite Subway sandwich or soup. This is the 13th locale of the popular U.S. health-conscious fast-food chain to open outside of the San José, Costa Rica Greater Metropolitan Area Other Subway...

Costa Rican black bean soup is a delicious and nutritious dish, even famous chef Jamie Oliver agrees, apparently, the gastronomy connoisseur tried this dish while in a trip to the country and now is teaching others to prepare it, with of course his own twist. Known in Costa Rica as “Sopa Negra” (black soup), there are many different ways to prepare it, after all is a family recipe and therefor...

Costa Rican Company CRB Restaurants, owner of the Chili’s franchise in Costa Rica, is opening new restaurants but this time with pizza as the main dish. The Crew Pizza & Salad opened its first location this October 10 at Plaza Real Alajuela; a 200 square meter are with capacity for 70 customers and with the concept of creating your own pizza or your own salad. Andrés Gómez, general manager ...

The Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) shared preliminary data (as of October 8) on the status of damages to crops after recent heavy rains. More than 124 thousand hectares of crops (over 300,000 acres) were affected from the intense rains  dropped by Tropical Storm Nate late last week. The area with the greatest impact is the Chorotega Region with almost 106 thousand he...

The Plano, Texas-based eatery, Pizza Hut, is strengthening its presence in Costa Rica with plans to open six more restaurants, as well as remodeling existing outlets to match their updated brand. The first new opening on December 15, will be at the Vías San Isidro shopping center in Coronado, a district northeast of San José, and will involve a $1.2 million investment. The other new Pizza Hu...

For all those that enjoy a good glass of wine, October 12 and 13 the event El Camino del Vino (The Road to Wine) will offer over 300 varieties from 60 different countries. The activity, organized by Florida Wines and Distillate has the goal of promoting the wine culture in Costa Rica, and will have wines from countries known for the quality of this drink as is the case of Chile, Argentina, Urug...

For all of you readers who are tired of news saying to quit eating red meat, this story's for you. A recent study by researchers at the Center for Animal Nutrition Research (CINA) at the University of Costa Rica confirmed that beef produced in Costa Rica contains a significant amount of linoleic acid conjugate (LAC) or rumenic acid, a substance that can boost immunity, protect against cancer an...

Costa Rica's first shipload of golden pineapples set sail for China in June of this year, and demand for the sweet variety is growing. Costa Rican pineapples face competition in the Chinese market from the Philippines, but exporters say their main concern is boosting production in order to meet both existing and new demand. "Our challenge is the increase in production ... At this moment the ex...

The Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), is launching a farm-to-table initiative to improve food quality at schools and also support family farms. "For the MAG .. it is important that children learn to consume and produce vegetables. In addition, this pilot plan demonstrates that it can beco...

Diners at McDonalds along the main drag in San Rafael de Escazú, an upscale district west of San José, were in for more than they bargained for when they went out for a bite last night. At around 9:40 p.m., two armed men entered the locale and robbed all customers and cash registers at gun point, reported police. No one was physically harmed in the hold up, but customers and workers were lef...

Snow cones are a popular dessert in Costa Rica, and now you can enjoy them anytime you want and customize it according to your preferences. “Taller de Copos” (snow cone workshop), opened its doors in the 7 Bancas shopping center in San Rafael, Escazú with an investment of around $60,000.00. The concept offered is similar to the one offered by ice cream shops that allow you to choose the ic...

Need a quick, super boost of energy? Rooster is "the first natural, coffee-based, low-calorie energizer," to be created and sold, say the energy drink's Costa Rican creators. With no sugar, no gluten and no lactose, the 15-calorie drink is said to help with physical endurance and performance, with burning fat, and with aiding in mental alertness, concentration and memory, on the Rooster Coff...

Burger King Costa Rica this week announced plans to open a new restaurant in San Rafael de Escazú, as the company, which scaled way back a couple of years ago, begins to make a comeback in Costa Rica. The new fast food location will be in San Rafael de Escazú, 50 meters east of the Yanuario Quesada School and across from the Barrio Lujan bakery, said the company. Last year, Burger King repor...

Grupo Britt Costa Rica is holding a job fair in Guanacaste this week from September 11 - 14 where the company aims to hire at least 50 people for its stores, and new food and beverage outlets. For its Britt cafés, the company is hiring food and beverage supervisors, baristas, kitchen assistants, wait staff, tellers, and cleaning assistants. All positions except cleaning positions require a h...

The Costa Rican Wine Expo (ExpoVino) has become a highly expected event, as more and more wine bars and wineries open doors in the country, a large part of the population learn more about the rich culture of wine and learn to appreciate this delicious drink, its wonderful properties and the secrets behind a great wine. The Wine Expo will take place October 18 through October 20, this is the six...

Listeria may not be part of your daily lexicon, but if you've ever been pregnant it probably was once on your radar. The bacteria can be spread by contaminated food, and can cause a rare infection that can be deadly in 20-30 percent of infections. Pregnant women are 10 times more likely than other people to get a Listeria infection, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control. ...

Costa Rica's Sibu Chocolate company recently took the silver medal at the International Chocolate Awards ceremony for its apple and lemon caramel-covered milk chocolate bonbon, made with 55 percent cocoa, said a report in Central America's Summa business magazine. Sibu stood out among 650 chocolates submitted from around the world, and was the only award winner in Central America. The carame...

Costa Rican coffee is regarded worldwide, yet, believe it or not sometimes it is not easy to find the best quality coffee in the Costa Rican coffee shops, this is because the majority of the best coffee is exported; that’s why Café Don Mayo decided several years back to open a specialty coffee shop with high-quality coffee of their own production. The best grains of coffee are selected from the...

The second edition of the Costa Rica Food & Wine will bring together renown international and national chefs. This Saturday, September 2, the Costa Rica Food & Wine Festival takes place at the Real Intercontinental Hotel in Escazú starting at 11 a.m. and finishing at 11 p.m. providing 12 hours of an incredible gastronomy experience. The entrance is free of charge and it includes entert...

Farmers in Costa Rica are clamoring for changes in immigration policies in order to facilitate contracting field hands from Nicaragua and Panama, said a report in Costa Rica's agricultural industry's magazine, ProAgro. The Costa Rican National Chamber of Agriculture and Agroindustry (CNAA) says that current legislation does not coincide with the reality of the agricultural, aquaculture, and agr...

Costa Rica is known globally for its high-quality coffee, and this September 9 the country will celebrate National Coffee Day with a Gastronomy Boulevard in San Jose’s China Town. National Coffee Day is usually celebrated the second Friday of the month of September as established in an Executive Decree in 1988. The event is organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, the San José Municipality,...

Fogo Brasil Restaurant in La Sabana opened doors almost 7 years ago and soon earned a steady clientele that loved this rodizio style option where you are always sure to find perfectly cooked beef cuts and an assorted salad bar. Fogo Brasil restaurant was recently acquired by Tsunami Global Group, the corporation that owns the chain of restaurants Tsunami Sushi; the company has confirmed they p...

A shopper in Scotland brought home something unexpected with his purchase of a Costa Rican pineapple this week. The pineapple was shipped from Costa Rica as are all fresh pineapples with the crown, or green leaves attached to the top, to keep them from ripening too quickly. And this adventurous snake found that a convenient place to hide. The Edinburgh grocery shopper called the Scottish Soc...

Just two months after the establishment of Costa Rica's Pacific coast Cabo Blanco Protected Marine Area, a shrimp trawler, the Maria Aurelia, was arrested by the Costa Rican Coast Guard after being caught red-handed trawling in this area where trawl activities are banned, said the conservation group CREMA in a press statement today. The illegal fishing activity comes two months after the protec...

The first edition of Visa Infinite Dining Series in Costa Rica is already here, a gastronomy event that includes 12 of the country’s best restaurants. The offer is for holders of Visa Infinite, Signature or Platinum cards, and it is available through the end of September, “an entrée to unique culinary experiences” and the opportunity to share with renown national chefs. Visa Infinite Dining ...

Hotel El Mangroove in Panama Beach, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, will celebrate Costa Rica’s independence day with the fourth edition of the event A 10 Manos (With 10 Hands), a unique event in the country that celebrates high cuisine with a five course meal created by the hands of 5 renown international chefs. This year’s theme will be the Mesoamerican Contemporary Cuisine, which seeks to praise the...

Tucked in the hills west of San José, beekeepers producing organic honey in San Ramón, Alajuela are petitioning the local government to ban herbicide use in the region to avoid contaminating their products, according to a report in the digital daily elmundo.cr. Association of Organic Beekeepers for the Conservation of the Environment (Asocapico, its initials in Spanish) made a request to the Sa...

Costa Rica established a committee tasked with monitoring governmental commitments on responsible   pineapple production and trade Monday, July 31 at a forum supported by the United Nations Development Program.   The initiative - led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG)- also involves the Ministry of Environment and Energy, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, and th...