Grupo Britt opens gourmet coffee store in San José

Look out Starbucks, here comes Britt.

Tico corporation Grupo Britt opened its first gourmet coffee store in Costa Rica this week at Mall Multiplaza Escazú, southwest of the capital.

The shop, Britt Espresso, aims to promote the popular coffee brand while selling gourmet coffee drinks and coffee-making paraphernalia. CEO Pablo Vargas said Britt Espresso aims to increase the preference for gourmet coffee in Costa Rican homes and workplaces.

The company plans to open more stores, starting with the inauguration next year of Britt Espresso franchises in Perú and Chile. Company executives also are in negotiations to open stores in other South American countries, Vargas said.

“The inauguration of this first store is a source of pride for Grupo Britt as it reflects 30 years of experience in offering innovative ways to drink coffee in Latin America,” he said.

The store is promoting its Britt Espresso machines, released by the group last June, and single-serve coffee pods of espresso, cappuccino, latte and mocha. The store also sells pods of the company’s traditional blends.

Britt Espresso has a recycling station for customers to dispose of empty pods to be transformed into “plastic wood.” The company will use this material to manufacture other recycling stations that will be donated to public schools.