Panama Opens Urraca Park to Food Businesses Under New Rules
Business & Opportunity · Panama City
Key Facts
—New rules. Panama’s Municipal Council approved regulations letting cafes, restaurants, ice-cream shops and gastronomic kiosks operate in the park, awarded through open public calls.
—Programme. The Municipality of Panama runs a Gastronomic Corridors Programme that issues public calls to food establishments.
—Venue. Urracá Park in Bella Vista has hosted at least two gastronomic corridors, each drawing roughly 4,000 participants.
—Cost. Event budgets have run around $10,000, with cost-sharing from the Bellavista Community Board.
—Support. The municipality provides awnings, electrical outlets, serving bars, logo printing, and social-media promotion.
—Nearby dining. The park is ringed by established restaurants, but formal food service inside the grounds remains limited.
Panama City has opened Urraca Park to food and drink businesses under newly approved municipal rules, formalising a public space it has activated with gastronomic events since 2018 — and creating a low-cost entry point for vendors in one of the capital’s busiest green areas.
Under regulations approved by the Municipal Council, cafes, restaurants, ice-cream shops and gastronomic kiosks may now operate inside the park, provided they fit its recreational and environmental character. Operators are chosen through open public calls that weigh experience, project quality, community benefit, design and sustainability.
A proven model for Urracá Park food events
The Municipality of Panama has built a track record of organising gastronomic corridors in Urracá Park, located in the Bella Vista district. A UNESCO monitoring report on the city’s gastronomy initiatives confirms at least two previous events at the park.
The Bellavista Gastronomic Corridor took place on 4 April 2018 with an estimated 4,000 participants and a budget of roughly $10,000. A second edition, the Gastronomic Corridor Ibero-American Capital, matched those attendance figures and shared costs with the Bellavista Community Board.
These events follow a structured public-call model. The municipality invites restaurants and gastronomic shops in specific neighbourhoods to apply, then provides common infrastructure so vendors can focus on their food.
What the municipality offers participating vendors
The Gastronomic Corridors Programme supplies each participant with a common awning, a 110-volt electrical outlet, and a one-metre serving bar. The municipality also prints logos for identification and promotes the event through its social-media channels and the “Panama 500” initiative.
This support package lowers the barrier to entry for small and medium-sized food businesses. A vendor does not need to invest in tents, power solutions, or heavy marketing to reach a crowd of 4,000 people in a single day.
For expat entrepreneurs and investors watching Panama’s food-and-beverage sector, the programme represents a low-risk testing ground. A brand can gauge customer response in a high-footfall setting before committing to a permanent brick-and-mortar location.
The current Urracá Park food landscape
Urracá Park itself has no formal restaurants inside its grounds. Recent travel guides describe local vendors selling snacks and soft drinks, but most visitors bring their own food or walk to surrounding streets.
The park is ringed by diverse dining options. Scarola Restaurant operates inside Park Plaza Mall on Calle 43 Este, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner from 7:30 AM to 10:00 PM.
Restaurante La Abuela, near the Contraloría building, offers weekday breakfast and lunch until 3:00 PM.
A Tex-Mex restaurant sits on one corner of the park, serving tacos, enchiladas, burritos, and horchata in a simple setting focused on food quality. Small shops and a sandwich spot round out the immediate perimeter.
Why Urracá Park matters for business and expat life
Bella Vista is one of Panama City’s most central and connected neighbourhoods. Urracá Park sits at its heart, drawing joggers, families, and office workers throughout the week.
For investors and expats, the park’s gastronomic programme signals a municipality that actively courts private-sector participation in public spaces. It mirrors broader trends across Latin America where cities use food events to activate parks, boost small-business revenue, and attract foot traffic.
The programme also aligns with Panama’s push to brand itself as a gastronomic destination. UNESCO has documented the city’s efforts, lending international visibility that can translate into tourism spending and real-estate interest in adjacent areas.
How to apply and what to watch next
The municipality typically disseminates calls through its official website and social-media accounts. Interested food establishments should monitor those channels and contact the gastronomy focal point listed under the Gastronomic Corridors Programme.
The Bellavista Community Board has co-managed past Urracá Park events and remains a key point of contact. Reaching out to the junta comunal can yield early information on upcoming dates and application requirements.
No new tender or concession for permanent food stalls inside the park has been announced. The pattern so far points to event-based calls rather than long-term installations, but the municipality’s willingness to activate the space suggests further opportunities are likely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a current open call for food vendors in Urracá Park?
No specific new tender appears in current public records. However, the Municipality of Panama has run gastronomic corridors in Urracá Park before and typically announces calls through its official website and social-media channels.
Interested vendors should monitor those sources and contact the municipality’s gastronomy focal point directly.
What does the municipality provide to participating food vendors?
Each participant receives a common awning, a 110-volt electrical outlet, a one-metre serving bar, logo printing for identification, and promotion through municipal social media and the Panama 500 initiative. This support package means vendors can operate without bringing their own infrastructure.
Are there permanent restaurants inside Urracá Park?
No formal restaurants operate inside the park itself. Informal vendors sell snacks and drinks, and several established restaurants sit on the park’s perimeter, including Scarola Restaurant in Park Plaza Mall and Restaurante La Abuela near the Contraloría building.
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