One of the keys to business success in Costa Rica is to offer home delivery of goods and services. This is known as “servicio express,” and it is very popular with food, beverages, medications, and groceries. Two new online food delivery services in Costa Rica are making it easier for people in Guanacaste to browse menus and order meals without having to leave their homes.

TicoToGo in Playa Tamarindo

This web service caters to English-speaking customers in the beach communities surrounding Playa Tamarindo in Guanacaste. Browsing menus and checking out prices is done completely online, but the ordering process is actually accomplished online for some restaurants or by calling either 800-8426-8646 for a toll-free call or simply 8426-8646 for a mobile call.

The TicoToGo website is conveniently organized into the following sections:

• Asian Restaurants
• Burger Restaurants
• Costa Rican Restaurants
• Pizza Restaurants

The website also has a separate Super Bowl section, which is a nod to the sizable United States expat population in Playa Tamarindo. Delivery charges seem to vary according to the agreement between the restaurant and TicoToGo. As of early 2014, there are about two dozen restaurants listed.

¿Que Comemos?

What should we eat? This service is one of the many enterprises controlled by business and media behemoth Grupo Nacion. The about us section of their website states that ¿Que Comemos? is an intermediary between customers and more than 200 restaurants around Costa Rica. Unlike TicoToGo, however, this service does not seem terribly interested in catering to English-speaking customers, and it also discourages phone calls.

Ordering can be accomplished by visiting the well-organized website or through the mobile apps for Apple iDevices or Android-powered smartphones and tablets. As of early 2014, ¿Que Comemos? does not seem to have made significant inroads into Guanacaste. Their cantonal options are limited to Liberia, and the only two restaurants currently affiliated are Burger King and Pizza Hut.

¿Que Comemos? does not have additional charges beyond the prices posted on the more than 80 menus on its website. Creating an account is required, and it is also convenient since it allows saving favorite dishes and addresses for future orders.