The franchise company QSR International is to open 15 new stores during 2012, and invest in the remodeling and reopening of three others.
QSR International, which owns the fast-food franchise KFC and Quizno's Sub in the region, will open 8 new KFC restaurants and 7 new Quizno's outlets in Costa Rica.
"Calle Blancos (Plaza San Gabriel), Cartago (near the Ruins and in the new Paseo Metrópoli mall), in Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJIA), Limon, San Rafael de Desamparados, Moravia (Lincoln Plaza) and Alajuela are the new KFC locations," reported Elfinancierocr.com.
Quizno's has been awarded a contract to manage the food area in the international airport of Costa Rica for 8 years, with an investment of $4 million.
This was announced by the company itself in a statement Wednesday in which they mentioned an initial investment of $4 million to start the operation of the restaurants.
Quiznos Sub Inc. is a franchisee of the QSR company, the company that owns the international franchises Quizno's, KFC, Teriyaki and Smashburger in Costa Rica.
Those that are already here are expanding by opening more stores, while other franchises are coming to settle in a market with rapidly changing trends in consumer dining.
In 2012 seven new concepts will join the fast-food market .
Spoleto is one of them, a chain of Brazilian origin that offers salads and pasta dishes prepared to suit the client.
Casa Phillips with over 60 years offering airline catering services, is entering the restaurant market with the opening of offices in Juan Santamaria Airport.
With an investment of $1.3 million, the company has opened three stores in the airport terminal under the name Malinche, two offering meals and a convenience store.
One of the restaurants, which is 198 square meters, is located inside the terminal next to boarding gate number 7 and the other, which is 241 square meters, is located on the south side of the airport parking lot.
Next May the U.S. chain will open its first store in San Jose, Costa Rica.
The announcement was made via a press release from the Pan American Coffee Corporation, a company that promotes Salvadoran coffee shops across the Isthmus.
Nacion.com reported quoted Manuela Velasquez, Starbucks marketing manager for Central America: "Our main goal is to bring the Starbucks experience to Costa Ricans.
With an investment of $3 million the Carl's Jr. chain has opened its first three restaurants in San Jose.
The franchise management company, Gold Star Burgers SA, indicated on the occasion of the inauguration of its first location in the heart of the capital, that in the coming weeks they will open two new branches in malls, Mall San Pedro and Plaza Real Cariari.
The opening and remodeling of restaurants, the closing of others and the entry into the market of new competitors is shaking up the market.
QSR International, which operates Quizno's in the country, has added fast-food chain Smashburger to its portfolio with three locations opening in 2012.
Meanwhile Subway, which has already opened three new outlets this year, plans to open three more by December.
While waiting for new foreign franchises to enter the market, domestic chains are expanding their operations.
More stores in different parts of the country, new brands and increasing competition are defining the chicken restaurant market.
This year alone there are plans to open at least two outlets under the Nicaraguan franchise Tip Top, which last year tried its hand in the center of the province of Alajuela.
Pizza Hut, Pan e Vino, Papa John's and La Fabbrica opened eleven new restaurants this year.
With a $ 2.4 million investment, Pizza Hut will open six new stores and remodel another three. It also plans to open three coffee shops in their restaurants.
La Fabbrica will open its sixth outlet, located in Sabana Oeste during April. General manager, Alvaro Sauma, explained that the company will invest $ 250.000 on this new opening.
Supported in the country by Danube Investments, the first Popeye Louisiana Kitchen restaurant will open.
Victor Ruiz, director of franchise operations, said that plans for the next two years include the opening of seven new restaurants, estimating an investment of about $ 6 million.
"This chain has about 2,000 outlets in 30 countries including Honduras, Panama, Puerto Rico and the United States", commented the article in Nacion.com.
By the end of the year, the multinational fast food chain plans to open four new restaurants.
Arcos Dorados, owner of the Costa Rican McDonald's franchise, expects to hire 300 people to work in the new restaurants.
Maureen Dávila, human resources manager for McDonald’s Costa Rica, commented to Elfinancierocr.com that, “the location of the new restaurants is still being studied and negotiated so we cannot disclose that information at the moment”.
"Comidas Rápidas Wentica", Costa Rican operator of the franchise, will open its fifth restaurant in the country.
The $1 million restaurant is located in shopping mall "Paseo de las Flores", in Heredia, and will be open for customers in November.
Jorge Castellanos is the Director of Operations of the franchise in the country. He told newspaper Nacion.com that "...for this operation, they will employ between 35 and 40 people.
Aguaceros de Esperanza Group of Costa Rica will invest $5 million for the construction of the franchise’s restaurants.
With an investment of $1.3 million for each building, the Aguaceros de Esperanza Group has scheduled opening its first restaurant in Santa Ana, San José, in late 2009.
According to Nacion.com, group president Cristian Villegas stressed that "Applebee's Costa Rica will be aimed at the middle, upper middle and high class ‘with a family-menu,’ featuring salads, quesadillas, meats (ribs and chicken filets and fajitas), seafood, pasta, burgers, desserts and beverages."