Moe's Goes to Costa Rica

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Moe’s Southwest Grill, the fast-growing restaurant franchise best known for its flavorful Southwest fare and fun and engaging brand culture, has opened its doors for the first time in Costa Rica.

The restaurant, which began operations in Costa Rica on November 10, 2012, is located at the newly designed Plaza Tempo in Escazu, an influential suburb of the nearby capital, San Jose.

Franchise partner Roberto Ricciardi plans to open five additional Moe’s throughout Costa Rica in the next five years, with the next two already projected to debut in 2013.

Ricciardi is a multiunit franchisee who has also developed the Cinnabon brand in Costa Rica, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic.

“Already in the first month, we’ve had a tremendous amount of positive feedback from the local community,” Ricciardi says. “Escazu is the ideal place to bring Moe’s, with its wide variety of entertainment and shopping venues already established. We look forward to growing this location and expanding across Costa Rica in the coming years.”

This opening follows Moe’s recent expansion into Russia and is indicative of continued international expansion efforts for the brand.

“The first day’s sales exceeded our expectations, and this is a positive sign as we seek franchise partner relationships outside the United States,” says Mike Shattuck, president of FOCUS Brands International, which handles overseas expansion for Moe’s Southwest Grill, as well as Carvel Ice Cream, Cinnabon, Schlotzsky’s, Seattle’s Best Coffee, and Auntie Anne’s Pretzels.

FOCUS Brands has a robust international infrastructure that supports more than 1,000 locations in more than 60 countries and is poised to support significant international growth for Moe’s Southwest Grill.