Starbucks has opened its 33rd store in Costa Rica, this time in San José near Dr. Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia Hospital, which the company says created 14 direct jobs. The chain did not say how much it invested in the project.
“Each new store represents an opportunity to further strengthen our connection with the communities where we operate,” said María José Gutiérrez, Starbucks Central America Marketing Manager. “We are excited to arrive in such a dynamic area and continue offering the Starbucks experience to people who live, work, or travel through this part of San José every day.”
The store will operate from 5:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on weekdays, with reduced hours on Saturdays and Sundays. The early opening reflects the store’s position in one of San José’s busiest medical and administrative corridors, where hospital shifts and office schedules drive foot traffic well before the standard workday begins.
Gutiérrez said the company’s continued expansion reflects consumer confidence in the brand and a long-term commitment to Costa Rica. “Our growth in Costa Rica reflects the trust our customers place in Starbucks and our commitment to continue investing in the country. Each new store strengthens our presence, creates jobs, and allows us to continue building spaces where people can connect over a cup of coffee,” she said.
The opening comes one week after Dunkin’ opened a new store in Zapote, across from the National Registry. This one the latest addition by AR Holdings, the company that operates the franchise in Costa Rica. Dunkin’ is also preparing to open another location in Sabana Este in September.
The store will sit in a small commercial complex across from the Datsun dealership, alongside the General Cañas Highway, placing it on one of the highest-volume commuter routes in the Greater Metropolitan Area. The chain already operates in Lindora, Heredia, Avenida Escazú, Curridabat, Alajuela and other parts of the country, having started in the Costa Rican market in Heredia.
Competition in the doughnut segment has intensified in recent years. Dunkin’, founded in Massachusetts in 1950, competes with Krispy Kreme, whose first Costa Rican store in Escazú drew hundreds of customers and caused issues with traffic as buyers lined up to get inside.
It also has a substantial local competitor, Doña Dona, which has 14 locations nationwide and diversified its business in 2021 by starting its own line of 100% Arabica, high-altitude coffee, moving the company further into a category the international chains have come to dominate in places such as shopping centers and highway commercial strips.
The expansion tracks a broader shift in how coffee is bought and sold in a country that has grown and exported coffee since the late 1700s and that now ships much of its harvest to premium markets abroad. Branded café chains have steadily added storefronts alongside neighborhood sodas, independent roasters and traditional cafeterias, and the pace of new openings suggests operators expect that demand to hold.
For those of us in Costa Rica, these means more locations, longer hours and higher prices per cup than the corner bakery charges, in a place where everyday spending has climbed steadily in recent years.
