When you hear the word “Monteverde,” several images likely come time mind: majestic valleys offering breathtaking views, a tropical cloud forest home to resplendent quetzals, a bumpy road well worth the drive, and of course, the delicious Monteverde ice cream that is such a treat on a visit to the cool, shaded Monteverde Cheese Factory.

For many, the trip to Monteverde is made worthwhile by one scoop of the factory’s famous sweet treat. But almost despite its popularity, Monteverde ice cream has long been available only within the cloud forest’s shadow. Finally, ice cream lovers may now rejoice: Monteverde ice cream will be sold in parlors throughout the country.

Productores de Monteverde S.A., the company in charge of the delicious dessert, has opened its first two outlets in Costa Rica. Both are located in the Central Valley, one in Heredia, north of San José, and the other in Belén, northwest of the capital city. These two ice cream parlors are only the first of 15 that will open by 2011.

Instead of being marketed as simple ice cream parlors, Monteverde ice cream will be sold at outlets called Deli Shop, marketing themselves as café-restaurants with a sweet tooth. The move to open Deli Shops was made after reviewing the success of the Monteverde-branded restaurant located on the Inter-American Highway, 3 kilometers west of the Sardinal de Puntarenas exit. As one of the only places outside the Cheese Factory where the ice cream was available, it was soon evident that the ice cream was one of restaurant customers’ favorite offerings.

Next on the list of opening Deli Shops: Santa Ana and Tres Rios de Desamparados, both of which will probably see openings in 2008. These new shops will offer 14 different ice cream flavors and four nieve (sorbet) flavors, as well as coffee, sandwiches, and pastries. Deli Shops will sell only Monteverde products – foods and products that are either made by Productores de Monteverde S.A. or produced in the Monteverde region.

Luis Zamora, the company’s director of commercial development, says that Deli Shops have a unique concept, different from the very-popular Pops ice cream chain. As an established and beloved brand, Deli Shops will provide an intimate environment, as well as a nostalgic, sweet-tasting treat for any who have visited Monteverde’s green forests.

This recent business expansion is the latest for Productores de Monteverde S.A., a company that was founded by several Quaker families that settled in Monteverde in the 1950s. The American transplants were motivated by their religious and pacifist values, and relocated to Costa Rica to protest the United States’ Korean War draft. In addition to establishing a Friends School and the Cheese Factory, Monteverde’s founding fathers purchased large parcels of land in an attempt to protect the area’s watershed. These purchased lands now make up the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve.

The company still holds its founding principles close to its heart, especially their ethics and respect for nature and their fellow man. This will surely be one company that no one will mind putting their wallets — and taste buds — behind.

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Filed under: Living on April 4th, 2008