Coffee production in Costa Rica began in 1779 in the Meseta Central. The blend that was first introduced to Costa Rica was first cultivated in Saudi Arabia known as Arabica Coffee. In Costa Rica coffee soon began to be a way of life, it transformed their nation’s culture, economy and diet. Coffee became Costa Rica’s number one export in 1829 quickly surpassing, cacao, sugar, and tobacco. Exports to Panama began in the 1820s and around 1832 Chile became a major customer. Chile began to rebrand the coffee and exported to England under the name "Café Chileno de Valparaíso."
In 1843 William Le Lacheur Lyon, the captain of the Monarch sent a shipment of Costa Rican coffee directly to England. The British grew fond of coffee and developed an interest in the country. They invested heavily into the country and became the principal customer of coffee exports till World War II. Costa Rica was then known around the world for coffee. It started to become more modernized and Costa Rican children went to study abroad in Europe to get a good education. They would then return as entrepreneurs, doctors, and engineers, and would contribute to Costa Rica’s growth. In 1890, Costa Rica was the first country to build a railroad to the Atlantic Coast named "Ferrocarril al Atlántico." Also coffee farmers built the national theater in Costa Rica in 1897.
