Introduced in Brazil in 1979, Fogo de Chão is a Brazilian steakhouse, or churrascaria, that features the centuries-old Southern Brazilian cooking technique of churrasco, the fire-roasting of high quality meats. The restaurants feature a distinctive and authentic Brazilian dining experience through the combination of high-quality Brazilian cuisine and a differentiated service model known as espeto corridor, Portuguese for ‘continuous service’, delivered by gaucho chefs. Its tasting menu of meats features up to 20 cuts, a gourmet Market Table with seasonal salads and fresh vegetables, seafood, desserts, signature cocktails and a substantial wine list. The publically traded company currently operates about 26 restaurants in the United States, ten in Brazil and one joint venture restaurant in Mexico. Fogo opened its first U.S. restaurant in 1997 in Dallas, Texas and over the next five years, it plans to grow the company-owned restaurant count by at least ten percent annually. The long term goal calls for at least 100 additional churrascarias in the United States in addition to international expansion with qualified joint venture partners. The chain has already secured sites in Summerlin in Nevada, The Woodlands in Texas, San Francisco in California, Naperville in Illinois and New Orleans in Louisiana and it expects to open at least three of these locations later in 2015. “As a part of our ongoing commitment to grow our operations across the United States, we are excited to be expanding our presence in existing markets and debuting our first location in Louisiana,” said CEO Larry Johnson. “We have built a strong brand with a passionate following and look forward to opening our newest locations as we continue executing on our steady growth path.”
CATEGORY: Full Service, Steakhouse (Brazilian)
Chain Name: Fogo de Chão
Company Name: Fogo de Chao Inc.
Street Address: 14881 Quorum Drive, Suite 750, Dallas, Texas 75254
Tel: 972/361-6225 Fax:
Email: info@fogodechao.com Website: www.fogodechao.com
Menu Specialty: A selection high quality meats featuring up to 20 cuts, utilizing the centuries-old Southern Brazilian fire-roasting cooking technique, a gourmet Market Table with seasonal salads and fresh vegetables, seafood, desserts, signature cocktails and a large wine selection.
Introduced: Introduced in 1979 in Rio Grande do Sui in Brazil, Opened first U.S. location in Dallas, Texas in 1997, Went Public in April, 2015. Founders were Jorge Ongaratto, Jair Coser, Aleixo Ongaratto and Arri Coser
No. of Locations: 26 restaurants in the United States, ten in Brazil and one joint venture restaurant in Mexico.
Areas of Operation: Large cities and business centers in the United States, Internationally with joint venture partners.
Types of Location: Freestanding, Street, etc.
BusinessType (corp., franchise, jv): Public company, Corporately owned locations, Joint venture internationally.
Size Req’d: Averages 10,000 sq.ft.
Special Requirements (patio, drive-thru, etc):
Contact Name: Lawrence Johnson – CEO
George B. McGowan – President
Anthony D. Laday – CFO
Selma Oliveira – COO
Albert G. McGrath - General Counsel
REAL ESTATE REPRESENTATIVES:
FRANCHISE REPRESENTATIVES:
PARENT COMPANY: Fogo de Chao Inc, Dallas, Texas
Related Chains:
Last Report: Restaurant & QSR Expansion Report #142 Last Update:
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