Chatwoods S.A. announced the opening of Hooters of Alajuela in Costa Rica's City Mall - Central America's largest mall which opened just two years ago. The 400-square meter location, adjacent to Alajuela's Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), seats 130 guests inside, and accommodates up to 18 guests on its outdoor patio. "City Mall is an exceptional venue for attracting locals and tour...

Barrio Escalante in the east of the capital city of San José is known as a Gastronomy Walk, an area where many different restaurants can be found; now in the west of San José, more precisely in Plaza Tempo Escazú there’s El Mestizo, a new Gastronomy Market where visitors can find 13 different culinary options all in one place. Here are some of the alternatives you’ll find at El Mestizo: Kami...

Photo: Vinos don Teófilo Costa Rica When we choose a bottle of wine we usually go for wine produced in France, perhaps Chile, Australia or even California; most certainly Costa Rica won’t be in your top 10 or even top 20, no one could blame you, Costa Rica is not known for its wine, but there are some entrepreneurs that have been working on changing this for several years now. In recent yea...

Canadian chef William Ayre and Costa Rican Business Administrator and Financial Analyst Daniel Loría met in high school; now, 15 years later they are partners in a new business, Hawaiian food restaurant Poke which opened doors June 13. Poke is located in Plaza Tempo, Escazú and required an investment of close to US $120,000.00. Poke is a Hawaiian dish involving raw fish salad served in a bowl. ...

The Food Week festival is carried out in several cities like New York, USA; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Madrid, Spain, with great success; it is a great opportunity for people to try some of the best restaurants in their city at great prices. This event arrived to San José, Costa Rica this year for the first time. Even though the name of the festival is “Food Week” it actually goes on for seve...

San José has many hidden jewels, many places that are unknown to foreigners and even to locals that don’t take the time to discover this city; you will be surprised to find some great restaurants and bars in downtown San José, and here we give you six awesome restaurants right in Costa Rica’s capital city that you should definitely take the time to try: 1) Coconut: Many people complain about ho...

This Saturday and Sunday Parque Viva will host the Chakók gastronomy festival with dishes from different corners of the world. In total 30 restaurants representing 9 regions will have a presence, as well as 10 food trucks, wine distributors and 20 different craft beers. Mexican, Italian, Peruvian, Argentinian, Chinease, Indian, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean dishes as well as BBQ, gourmet...

If the soul of a destination is found in its gastronomy, then exploring Tico cuisine will unearth an infinite zest for life. Food-obsessed travelers with an insatiable appetite for dynamic gastronomic experiences will find sustainable practices, fresh organic ingredients and exotic dishes as part of Costa Rica's culinary offerings. From eating like a local at the Central Market in San Jose to enjo...

Got rice? Costa Rica consumer groups hope its locally grown, and are pushing for price subsidies to stay in place to support local farmers. The National Federation of Consumers (Fenasco) urged the President of the Republic Luís Guillermo Solís to maintain price subsidies for the country's basic staple, rice, and to not cede to pressures from organizations, companies or business chambers to roll...

Want to see what's happening in the world of chocolate in Costa Rica? From July 14-16 the country's main chocolate trade fair takes place in downtown San José at the former customs building, also known as the Antigua Aduana. Entrance is 2,000 colones for adults, and children are free. If you want to be guaranteed a spot at the popular event, tickets can even be purchased in advance starting ...

Coffee from Finca don Antonio, in Copey de Dota which is cultivated at between 1,800 to 2,200 meters above sea level, reached a record price of up to USD$8,060.00 per quintal (100 lbs or 46 kilograms) in the electronic auction organized by contest Taza de la Excelencia (Cup of Excellence), organization headquartered in Portland Oregon; while in the New York stock market the price reached $123.80 p...

TGI Fridays changed owners and has relaunched its brand in Costa Rica; the franchise in the country now belongs to Costa Rican corporation La 305 S.A. . Everything from the menu, to the image and the infrastructure was renovated; 20 new high definition screens to enjoy sports events, modern and more efficient kitchen equipment and new personnel, hope to attract more clients. “Fridays is one ...

The Chamber of Exporters of Costa Rica (CADEXCO, its initials in Spanish) said it is concerned about the stagnation in exports in the country's priority sectors, according to reports in Central America's Summa business magazine this week. The agricultural sector, which represents 28 percent of the country's exports and is the largest employer in rural areas, has shown no growth this year compar...

When asked about Costa Rica’s gastronomy the first thing that comes to mind is the most popular dish, the “Casado” the typical dish that includes white rice, black beans, meat (chicken, fish, pork or red meat) and a small salad and perhaps the famous “gallo pinto” (rice and beans mixed together and flavored with different natural spices) also come to mind, but not every dish in Costa Rica is about...

The Seattle, Washington-based Starbucks is celebrating five years of operations in Costa Rica this week, and has announced its continued expansion both locally and in the rest of Central America. The chain has 35 stores in the region with 11 in both Costa Rica and El Salvador, seven in Guatemala, and six in Panama. Starbucks' first outlet in Costa Rica opened at Avenida Escazú. This year it ...

To strengthen the country's national strategy on low carbon livestock (a program referred to with the initials ENGBC in Spanish), the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) and the National Institute of Learning (INA) have joined to enhance the country's sustainable livestock production with more resources. Mauricio Chacón Navarro, manager of the national livestock program and coordinator ...

Costa Rica will see the growth of gourmet coffee and chocolate options with the expansion of Britt outlets. "Britt, besides being a gourmet brand of coffee and chocolates, is characterized by the high level of service that strengthens the creation of memorable experiences. The Britt Chocolateries try to instill a taste for good chocolate. We have seen that the customer who already consumes our ...

Costa Rica's Imperial Silver has launched the sale of its beer in the U.S. state of Colorado and the makers of Cerveza Imperial will join hands with statewide water conservation campaigns as part of its larger commitment to environmental sustainability, reported the company to Businesswire. “We have committed to a revolutionary concept of being the world’s first and only ‘water positive’ be...

Researchers from Costa Rica's Tropical Agronomic Research and Teaching Center and the non-profit Conservation International published findings on the impact of climate change in Latin America. Climatic Change magazine's special edition in March, Climate Change Impacts on Ecosystems, Agriculture and Smallholder Farmers in Central America, detailed the negative impacts of climate change in Centra...

How can drinking beer help the environment? Costa Rican-based Cerveza Imperial, the world's first and only water positive beer, has chosen San Diego as one of two markets along with Denver for its re-launch. To spread its water positive concept of "giving more than it takes," Imperial will partner with Surfrider Foundation San Diego, California Surf Museum, Aaron Chang, and various clean-up events...

- Protestors took to the streets again this Monday, two weeks after a similar demonstration in San José criticized deforestation and pollution caused by pineapple farming in Costa Rica. While Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solís was giving a public talk to commemorate World Environment Day, some young protestors stood in front of him with a banner reading "De Muerte" or "of death" painted o...

An emergency measure ordered by the Costa Rican Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock's National Animal Health Service (SENASA) aimed at controlling a stable fly (Stomoxys calcitrans) outbreak in northern Costa Rica went into effect last week. All pineapple farms in the district of Cutris de San Carlos and San Rafael de Río Cuarto must refrain from any new plantings or soil preparations for the...

While pineapple growers downplay the social, and also environmental, issues behind the monoculture’s activity in Costa Rica, local communities continue to share firsthand experiences of human and labor rights violations. “One of the most worrying complaints that is systematically repeated in the plantations visited in Limón province - in Guácimo, Siquirres, Pococí, and Talamanca - as well as th...

The next time you go to Taco Bell don't be surprised if you see employees using sign language to communicate with one another. This is because the company has a strong policy of including people of different abilities as part of its workforce. Taco Bell Costa Rica continues to expand its operations, and also its philosophy of inclusivity, giving greater participation to individuals with disabil...

While it might be tempting to grab a bag of inexpensive fruit from a street vendor on your next trip to downtown San José, you should think twice about the quality of what you are buying. San José municipal police are amping up their operations in the center to curb informal sales of products along the streets. On a patrol this week, police on bicycle retrieved bags of fruit hidden in storm ...

During the “Cup of Excellence” contest which took place this week in the Bouganvillea Hotel in Heredia, coffee tasters from nine countries chose coffee from Don Antonio farm part of the Group Los Grande de Copey, from the Tarrazú region, as the best in Costa Rica. Experienced coffee tasters from Japan, South Korea, Australia, Bulgaria, China, Germany, U.S.A., Colombia and Costa Rica tasted coff...

The classic American diner-style eatery, Johnny Rockets, opened the doors to its fifth locale in Costa Rica. Located in the newly opened commercial and residential complex, Escazú Village, the new 300 square meter restaurant has a capacity for 134 diners and involved an investment of US$800,000. Its opening generated 30 new jobs in areas of administration, customer service, cashiers, cooks a...

The government of Costa Rica will ban the use of the herbicide bromacil throughout the country to avoid groundwater contamination, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) reported in a statement yesterday. The decision was made due to the high risk that the chemical will contaminate groundwater. Bromacil, a possible human carcinogen, is used on many pineapple farms in Costa Rica. In ...

-- A UCR student research project looks at factors that influence the microbiological stability of bottled hot sauce to prevent problems like botulism. Carolina Zúñiga Arrieta's dissertation research at the University of Costa Rica's School of Food Technology was selected as one of six finalists in an annual research competition organized by the U.S.-based Institute of Food Technologists (IFT),...

While Latin America as a whole has experienced marked deforestation, Costa Rica has proved the notable exception, and has sustained and even increased its forest cover, said a climate investigation published in the University of Costa Rica’s weekly Semanario Universidad. What has led to Costa Rica’s success? The United Nations Organization for Agriculture (FAO) says state support and incentives...

Zona de Los Santos, Costa Rica — High in the mountains of south central Costa Rica is the Zona de los Santos, an agricultural area with unique qualities and whose inhabitants have perfected  the art of growing and processing one of the best coffees in the world. A series of natural factors have enriched the region's mountainous land, and those who live here have discovered how to make the most ...

Cartago will soon be getting its second Walmart store, this one in La Lima, at the entrance to the city and in the vicinity of the La Lima Industrial Park. This new store will bring the Walmart global chain’s total to 11 outlets in Costa Rica. No information was forthcoming regarding details of the opening date, construction size, or number of new hirees for the new la Lima store. The lat...

50mm GastroPub & Café, opened doors in Guadalupe, Costa Rica, and it’s a new option for those food and dog lovers. This pub is not only dog friendly, but it also offers a menu for our four legged friends. This concept started out as a family enterprise and combines the owners’ passion for photography, good food and dogs. Yalile Alvarado is a 21-year-old entrepreneur who graduated as a p...

Glyphosphate is an herbicide used on coffee plantations in Costa Rica and other Central American countries. The chemical is included in the international Pesticide Action Network’s "List of Highly Hazardous Pesticides" and is targeted for global phaseout. Endosulfan is also used in Central American coffee production. It is “an off-patent organochlorine insecticide and acaricide that is being...

May 14 is the established date for this year’s edition of La Luz Gastronomy Festival in Barrio Escalante which will extend from 10 a.m. through 8 p.m. This is the fifth time this even is organized and it is already one of the most expected gastronomic events in Costa Rica. Forty stands will offer different food options, design, art and culture just like in previous years, but this time there...

Come one, come all to try out creative fare from throughout Costa Rica at the sixth Gustico food fair at the La Sabana Metropolitan Park this weekend. The event gives small scale food and other agricultural-related producers an opportunity to meet with local and international buyers, distributors and businesses, as well as a chance introduce their value-added products to the general public. ...

Have you noticed the large number of pizza restaurants you can find in Costa Rica? Fast food pizzerias and more gourmet style pizzas by some of the best Italian chefs in the country, a variety of toppings and combinations, that is what the festival Pizza Rocks wants to showcase. Starting this Monday, April 24 and for six weeks, 23 restaurants and pizzerias will compete to get rid of the concept...

With growing demand for organic produce in the United States, Texas-based Pasco Foods is stepping up to fill the niche market. The company, which began packing private label French-Fried onions and Crispy-Fried Onions for U.S. retailers, wholesale clubs and industrial customers in 1999, has since expanded to supply pineapple and hearts of palm imports from Costa Rica to U.S. consumers, accordin...

The fifth edition of the Chefs & Sommeliers event will take place in Avenida Escazú this Wednesday, April 5, beginning at 7p.m. The event will have the participation of seven restaurants, among them, La Divina Comida, Apuntto, Santos, Costa Rica Beer Factory, L’lle de France. The restaurants will have the challenge of presenting innovative dishes, which will be served with an adequate wine ...

For all those spending the hot days at the Guanacaste beaches, perhaps you`d like to refresh yourself with a very cold beer; try something different, there´s a new craft beer called Guanaca by Guana Beer Company, made by local entrepreneurs, a Costa Rican couple who aside from wanting to create a unique flavor and successful business also want to ensure their company is environmentally responsible...