LADIESwhoLUNCH by Karen Lee Hall

The local group informally known as the LadieswhoLunch (LwL) began over 20 years ago, when three expat ladies decided they wanted to get to know other expat ladies residing in the Quepos/Manuel Antonio area. And what better way for ladies to get to know one another but over lunch? In the 20+ years since that first get together over ‘almuerzo’, the group has grown as friends 

bring friends who bring friends. 

Along with the expansion of the group and its network, the town has doubled, tripled and quadrupled the number of restaurants. 

The phrase "ladies who lunch" became popular in the 1960s and 70s to describe a new kind of idle affluence among stylish, upper-class housewives or socialite women in urban centers like New York who meet for leisurely lunches during the weekday. In many ways, the original "ladies who lunch" had to be Truman Capote’s “Swans”. Capote’s "Swans" were a group of glamorous, elite socialites in the 1950s and 60s whom he befriended and idealized. They included: Babe Paley (wife of CBS founder William Paley), Slim Keith (style icon and former wife of director Howard Hawks), Gloria Guinness (Mexican socialite and fashion icon), C.Z. Guest (American actress and garden writer), and Lee Radziwill (Jackie Kennedy's sister). They were the epitome of wealth, style, and high society, often appearing in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and on the best-dressed lists.

Sporting a different, more relaxed, modern style --  a beachy glamour if you will – the Ladies Who Lunch in Quepos come from all of the Americas; women who’ve made their own way in the world and after making their mark, have migrated to our beautiful shores to enjoy their next chapter. In our town, the phrase ‘ladies who lunch’ has been reclaimed with irony and a wink by women who are successful, social, and self-aware. 

Over the years, many different ladies have coordinated the LwL lunches. At a certain point, the group decided to promote the restaurants and serve as ambassadors of the hospitality industry in the area.  

As a non-partisan group, the luncheons are open to ladies who are seeking to increase their social circle as well as to ladies new to the area in need of support and networking. 

The LwL group explores the culinary offerings of Tico and Expat restaurants/sodas/ hotels alike whether long established or just opened. The ladies are encouraged to write a review on different media to promote the establishment and bring business to our area. Ladies Who Lunch gathers monthly on the third Thursday of every month. 

Women interested in attending, contact: Julia at gemini05219@yahoo.com, for restaurants/sodas/hotels, please contact: hcocorosen @outlook.com