In 2015 60 new construction companies and 1450 workers registered with the social security department, and in the sector of hotels and restaurants, 40 new companies and 437 workers registered.
Construction, tourism and trade are the three sectors that are driving economic activity and growth of formal employment in the department of Rivas.
The union of restaurants has reported that in 2015 22,000 new stores were opened, almost 7% more than in 2014, when 20,000 new establishments were recorded.
The growth registered in the construction of shopping centers has positively impacted gastronomic activities since it has generated more spaces where new stores can be opened.
From September 5 to 7 products will be exhibited and meetings held in Guatemala City by representatives of food companies, restaurants and other entities linked to the sector.
The event is being organized by the Union of Restaurants in Guatemala and will be held at the Grand Tikal Futura Hotel in Guatemala City.
Taking part in the fair will be companies producing food and drinks, restaurants, hotels and other companies related to the industry.
The fast food restaurant chain McDonald's plans to add three new outlets to the 18 which are already operating in the country.
Representatives of Mesoamerica Corporation, which owns the franchise in the country, indicated that the investment per restaurant is around $2 million, and the three it plans to open in the second half of the year will be added to the three already opened this year.
The Paraguayan company Adiser S.A. has acquired the stock and operational control of the fast food restaurant chain Burger King.
Laestrella.com.pa reports that "...Adiser S.A. has 10 years of experience working with the fast food concept, working hand in hand with the Burger King brand in Paraguay since 2005; in Uruguay since 2008 and in Brazil since 2009. "
The owner in the region of Juan Valdez coffee shops has acquired the Burger King franchise in the country and is preparing for the opening of eleven outlets in the remainder of the year.
After having announced in October of 2015 the close of the 29 restaurants that operated in the country, due to a decision by the shareholder and franchise holder BKC EE.UU., the brand is returning to the country in the hands of the business group JV Centroamérica. The new owner has already opened one restaurant and is preparing to open two more in the next two weeks and eight during the second half of the year.
Suppliers and distributors in the sectors representing food, gastronomy and hospitality in El Salvador and Central America will be taking part in business meetings from June 27 to 29 in San Salvador.
From The Food & Drink Trade Show 2016 wesbite:
The Restaurant Association of El Salvador will be bringing together in our country, for the third consecutive year, suppliers, distributors and importers to display their products and services for the food industry, hospitality and related sectors in the region.
The regional trade fair for franchises 'Expofranquicias 2016', will be held on 12th and 13th of May in Costa Rica.
From a statement issued by the Chamber of Commerce of Costa Rica:
Costa Rica, March 14, 2016. More than 100 exhibiting companies and 4,000 investors from the Caribbean, North, Central and South America and Europe, will participate in the seventh version of the only regional trade fair for franchises: Expofranquicia, which will be held on 12th and 13th of May in Costa Rica with the aim of promoting the opening of new franchises in the region.
Thirteen fast food franchises will be opening 40 new stores this year, after 2015 saw the arrival of some new players and the departure of others.
A survey carried out by Nacion.com on the franchising industry revealed that about 40 new stores will generate 360 jobs this year, compared to the 654 redundancies recorded in fast food restaurants segment in 2015.
The closure of the 29 restaurants has left, not only unmet demand in the fast food market in high consumption areas, but also well-qualified staff.
An article in Elfinancierocr.com is an accurate analysis of the wakeup call for the fast-food market of Costa Rica, represented by the closure of operations of a franchise which has been operating since 1990.
Burger King Costa Rica has announced the closure of 29 restaurants operating in the country, after a decision was taken by shareholders and the franchisor BKC US.
Since February the franchise has closed four of its stores in the metropolitan area, citing a lack of financial viability. See: "More Fast Food Closures in Costa Rica".
The fast food franchise KFC Costa Rica has been acquired by the Mexican Group Inversor Intelectiva, which plans to open five new restaurants between 2015 and 2016.
One of the major changes made by the new owner is to implement, in all branches operating in the country, the model used worldwide by KFC, called In Store Prepared (ISP).
The chain of fast food restaurants Quiznos, operating since 2004 with twelve outlets, has closed its operations.
The union of restaurants in Guatemala confirmed the closure of the chain of US origin, which in March 2014 began the process of acceding to Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Salvador Contreras, union representative, told Elperiodico.com.gt that "... officially no reason for the closure is known or if there is an operation with firms that are replacing the brand."
The chain of fast food restaurants Hooters has announced the temporary closure of its branch in San Salvador due to the climate of insecurity and violence in the country.
From a statement released by the company:
"We inform the Salvadoran community that owing to circumstances beyond our control, namely the insecurity and ongoing violence in the country, we have been asked to temporarily close the Hooters operations in El Salvador.
Fast food consumption has been reported to be worth more than $2.3 billion a year, and is the preferred choice for 7 out of 10 Guatemalans.
One factor that explains the preference for fast food restaurants in Guatemala is the price, which tends to be lower in these outlets than in traditional restaurants. A survey by Millward Brown said that "... 19% prefer casual restaurants, 7% gourmet restaurants.