Demographics and Tastes Can Be Key to Success

Of course, some locals, long-term renters and tourists do want a taste of Costa Rica. Largely, that comes in the form of the fresh fish that fishermen catch throughout the day and deliver to typically higher-end establishments. Although not everyday tico fare (as many think it is), it does give diners the impression that they’re experiencing the real deal. Despite the smoke and mirrors involved in this, these restaurants can do a brisk business.

 

 

 

 

Some bolster their menu items with live music. One bar/restaurant, located on Playa Tamarindo, hosts locals covering classic American rock. Others, of course, pander to the tourist crowd and showcase tico bands playing traditional Costa Rican music. And come nighttime, yet others convert to discos (yes, clubs are still called discos in Costa Rica), giving younger tourists—surfers and spring breakers, in particular—an outlet after a long day at the beach. Other restaurants feature sponsored poker games and even bingo, to which the locals often flock.

This type of creative thinking, starting perhaps with a simple eggs-and-bacon breakfast and ending with a lively disco evening, can and does draw people from across a broad spectrum, including families with kids, couples on their honeymoons, hippy locals, hipster 20-somethings and even eager ticos. The latter are particularly fond of the discos and the gringo crowds they draw. So instead of looking at a restaurant as merely a place to peruse and order from a menu, entrepreneurs should look at all of the possible avenues to keep their seats filled.

 

 

 

 

Diverse Likes and Dislikes

For me, those attractions aren’t the discos—I’m getting too old for that—but a bar-top stool where I can drink a cold beer and listen to that classic rock. My doddering, curmudgeon likes and dislikes aren’t the point, though. Rather, it’s the diversity of people who come to towns such Tamarindo that can be reached, whatever their nationality or the language they speak.

Jim Ustler’s part one:
Costa Rica: An Investment Opportunity for Hispanic Business


Next up: a brief look at the retail sector in Costa Rican tourist towns.

Jim Utsler is an award-winning author, writer and all-around word guy. Jim has been in the publishing industry for nearly 30 years, with articles appearing in publications as diverse as PGA Magazine, Automotive News and IBM Systems Magazine. Armed with a creative-writing degree from the University of Michigan, he also writes fiction and recently released his new novel Pura Vida, into the wild. This mystery/thriller explores the jungles of both Detroit and Costa Rica, as well as those in the minds of its characters. You can learn more about Pura Vida on Jim’s website.