Fogo de Chao

What Fogo de Chao does

Fogo de Chão is an authentic Brazilian steakhouse restaurant chain operating 100+ locations across the United States, Brazil, Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom, headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The company was founded in 1979 in Porto Alegre, Brazil, by the Bassani family and was previously publicly traded on NASDAQ under the ticker FOGO. Its core offering is the Full Churrasco Experience, a prix-fixe dining concept in which Brazilian-trained Gaucho Chefs perform tableside carving of fire-roasted meats over an open flame (churrasqueira), complemented by the Market Table & Feijoada Bar featuring 50+ seasonal offerings that are 100% naturally gluten-free. The company layers additional experiences including the Indulgent Churrasco Experience (with premium enhancements such as Butter-Bathed Lobster Tail, Roasted Bone Marrow, and Black Truffle Butter), Bar Fogo cocktail and happy hour programs, Weekend Brunch, and a limited-time 'Best of Brazil' $49 tier, alongside off-premise catering, to-go and delivery, gift cards, and a Butcher Shop for retail meat sales.

The business operates a hybrid revenue model combining dine-in per-cover prix-fixe pricing ($18 weekday Gaucho Lunch entry tier up to ~$59 Best of Brazil in San Francisco/Washington), Bar Fogo beverage sales, catering packages for groups of 10+, group and private dining events for 15-300+ guests, and recurring engagement through the Fogo Rewards loyalty program (free to join, with reset anniversary rewards). Geographic expansion is pursued through a mix of company-owned US restaurants and an active international franchise program targeting markets outside the US, Brazil, Mexico, UK, and Middle East, with target unit economics of $3-4M USD initial capital investment in 5,000-8,000 sq ft footprints accommodating 200-300 guests. Distribution channels include OpenTable-powered reservations, fogodechao.order.online for to-go, DoorDash for delivery, and ecommerce for gift cards.

Customer segments span general premium-dining consumers, corporate and business events, celebrations and social gatherings (weddings, anniversaries, graduations), catering and off-premise customers, and health-conscious or dietary-restricted diners including keto, paleo, vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, pescatarian, and GLP-1 user segments. The company holds food-safety certifications including EcoSure and HACCP, adheres to NCBA Beef Quality Assurance and Five Freedoms animal welfare standards, and partners with HerdX for blockchain-based beef traceability. Leadership includes CEO George B. 'Barry' McGowan (since 2019, with prior roles as CEO of Waterloo Restaurants and COO of Macaroni Grill), CFO Anthony D. Laday, CMO Michael Breed (joined 2025), COO Rick Lenderman, Chief Culture Officer Selma Oliveira, Chief Development Officer Joseph Abbruzese, and President of International Andrew 'Andy' Feldmann.

Name

Fogo de Chao

Legal name

Fogo de Chão, Inc.

Website

https://fogodechao.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Fogo de Chão is a Dallas-headquartered Brazilian steakhouse chain operating 100+ locations across the US, Brazil, Puerto Rico, and the UK, serving premium full-service churrasco dining, catering, and to-go experiences to general consumers, corporate event clients, and health-conscious diners through company-owned restaurants and franchise partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Casual Upscale Brazilian Steakhouse (Churrascaria) Restaurants

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Caterers (722320)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Fine Dining Restaurants (THAFACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Catering Coordination & Bar Service Management (Non-restaurant) (HSACAAAH), Event Culinary Staffing & Back-of-House Services (Chefs, Servers, Bartenders) (THAHAKAN), Beverage Services (Bar Catering, Mixology, Beverage Programs) (THAHAKAJ)

Keywords

• Brazilian steakhouse chain
• Churrasco dining experience
• Prix-fixe restaurants
• Casual upscale dining
• Brazilian restaurant franchise

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Dine-In Churrasco Experience: Prix-fixe dining experience with continuous tableside service of fire-roasted meats, Market Table access, and Brazilian side dishes. Revenue is generated per-covers with pricing varying by location and experience tier (Full Churrasco, Indulgent Churrasco, Best of Brazil).
2. Bar Fogo Beverages: Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage sales including signature cocktails (Caipirinha, World Caip), South American wines, beers, and mocktails. Happy hour promotions include $6 Beers, $8 South American Wines, and $10 Brazilian-Inspired Cocktails.
3. Fogo Rewards Loyalty Program: Free loyalty program driving repeat visits through rewards: 1st visit reward (50% off Full Churrasco), 2nd visit reward (complimentary churrasco with purchase), plus exclusive member benefits including complimentary charcuterie plate, $1 Caipirinha Tuesdays, and birthday rewards.
4. Catering & To-Go: Full-service on-site grilling catering, pickup/delivery catering packages (Classic, Premium, Premium Plus), and Butcher Shop ready-to-grill-at-home meats. Delivery radius up to 5 miles with $4.99 delivery fee for orders $200 or less.
5. Gift Cards: Digital and physical gift cards sold online for use at any U.S. Fogo de Chão location. Bulk purchasing available for corporate programs.
6. Group & Private Dining Events: Private event hosting for groups of 15-300+ with customizable packages, A/V equipment, and dedicated Sales Managers. Includes full restaurant buy-out options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Fogo de Chão operates an authentic Brazilian churrascaria (steakhouse) restaurant chain centered on the signature prix-fixe Full Churrasco Experience: continuous tableside service of fire-roasted Brazilian meats carved by Gaucho Chefs, combined with a 50+ item seasonal Market Table & Feijoada Bar. The company complements in-restaurant dining with Bar Fogo beverage service, off-premise catering and to-go ordering, a Butcher Shop retail meat offering, group and private event hosting, gift card sales, and an international franchise program.

Product overview

Fogo de Chao is an authentic Brazilian steakhouse offering a unified dining experience built around its signature Full Churrasco Experience—a prix-fixe meal featuring continuous tableside service of fire-roasted Brazilian cuts by Gaucho Chefs. The core offering includes the standard Full Churrasco Experience and the elevated Indulgent Churrasco Experience (with premium enhancements and dessert). These core experiences are complemented by the Market Table & Feijoada Bar (a seasonal, gluten-free salad and specialty bar), Bar Fogo (cocktail bar with happy hour), and Weekend Brunch. The company also operates Fogo Rewards (loyalty program), offers Catering & To-Go services including a Butcher Shop for retail meat sales, sells Gift Cards, and periodically runs limited-time offerings like 'Best of Brazil' and the 'World Caip' campaign. Group & Private Dining and Franchise Opportunities round out the business model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bar Fogo: Bar Fogo is the bar and happy hour offering at Fogo de Chão locations, featuring handcrafted cocktails, South American wines, and bar bites.
• Fogo Rewards
• Market Table

Products and services

• Full Churrasco Experience Signature prix-fixe dining experience featuring continuous tableside service of fire-roasted Brazilian cuts carved by Gaucho Chefs, full access to the Market Table & Feijoada Bar, and authentic Brazilian side dishes. Guests use a coaster to signal when ready for additional service.
• Indulgent Churrasco Experience Elevated version of the Full Churrasco Experience including premium fire-roasted cuts, Market Table & Feijoada Bar access, plus a choice of enhancement (Butter-Bathed Lobster Tail, Roasted Bone Marrow, All Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, or Black Truffle Butter) and any dessert.
• Best of Brazil Limited-time dine-in offer featuring a curated selection of fire-roasted cuts (Picanha, Fraldinha, Alcatra, Frango, Bisteca de Porco, Linguiça, Queijo Assado), full access to Market Table & Feijoada Bar, and authentic side dishes at $49 per person.
• Gaucho Lunch Weekday lunch option starting at $18 per person, including full Market Table & Feijoada Bar access and family-style Brazilian side dishes, with option to add a single fire-roasted cut.
• Weekend Brunch Weekend brunch featuring signature fire-roasted cuts alongside made-to-order omelets, Belgian Waffles, Braised Beef Rib Hash, fresh exotic fruits, yogurt parfaits, and Market Table superfoods, plus brunch cocktails.
• Bar Fogo Full-service bar offering handcrafted Brazilian-inspired cocktails (Caipirinha, World Caip), South American wines, beers, mocktails, small plates, and all-day happy hour specials ($6 beers, $8 wines, $10 cocktails).
• Catering & To-Go Off-premise dining options including pickup, delivery with warming kits, and full-service on-site grilling catering for groups of 10+. Catering packages include Classic (2 salads / 2 proteins / 2 sides), Premium (3/3/3), and Premium Plus (adds charcuterie and Tres Leches). Delivery within 5-mile radius, $4.99 fee for orders $200 or less (minimum $15).
• Butcher Shop Fresh-cut meats carved by Gaucho chefs for take-home grilling, including premium cuts like Wagyu and dry-aged steaks sold by the pound.
• Group & Private Dining Private event hosting for groups of 15 to 300+ guests with private and semi-private spaces, customizable packages, A/V equipment, and dedicated Sales Managers for corporate meetings, client entertainment, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, and full restaurant buy-out options.
• Gift Cards Digital eGift cards delivered by email and physical plastic gift cards mailed after processing, redeemable at all U.S. Fogo de Chão locations. Bulk purchasing available for companies and customer appreciation programs.
• Fogo Rewards Free loyalty program offering tiered rewards after qualifying visits (minimum $25 spend): first visit reward 50% off Full Churrasco; second visit reward complimentary Churrasco with purchase. Member benefits include complimentary charcuterie plate, $1 Caipirinha Tuesdays, and a $25 birthday reward.
• Franchise Opportunities International franchise program for experienced multi-unit restaurant operators outside of Brazil, Mexico, UK, Middle East, and the US. Target initial capital investment of $3M-$4M USD per unit with minimum liquidity of $3-5M USD, offering protected territories with exclusive development rights.

Quantifiable outcome

• Best in Class performance vs. direct competitors in key metrics of average unit volume, labor costs, restaurant contribution margin and cash-on-cash return on investment
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• HerdXcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 April 2019Strategic technology partnership for beef traceability using HerdX's blockchain technology. Fogo de Chão announced collaboration in April 2019 to bring greater understanding and trust to the livestock industry through tags and software that provide transparency in beef sourcing from ranch to table.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Texas Roadhouse: Large publicly-traded casual steakhouse chain with broad US footprint. Comparable on steakhouse category leadership and family/group dining occasions, though more casual and value-oriented than Fogo.
• Darden Restaurants: Multi-concept full-service restaurant operator (Olive Garden, LongHorn, Capital Grille, Cheddar's). Comparable as a parent of competing steakhouse concepts and a benchmark for full-service restaurant scale economics.
• Outback Steakhouse: Bloomin' Brands-owned casual steakhouse chain. Comparable as a national steakhouse brand competing for similar dinner occasions, though positioned at a lower price tier than Fogo.
• LongHorn Steakhouse: Darden-owned casual steakhouse chain with 500+ locations. Comparable as a broad steakhouse operator, though at a lower price point and more limited-service model than Fogo.

Direct peers

• Ruth's Chris Steak House: Premium fine dining steakhouse chain serving USDA Prime cuts in a tableside service format. Directly comparable to Fogo's upscale steakhouse positioning, per-cover economics, and special-occasion customer base.
• Tucanos Brazilian Steakhouse: Brazilian churrasco chain with multiple US locations. Comparable Brazilian steakhouse concept with salad bar and tableside meat service, serving a similar price-sensitive premium casual customer.
• Morton's The Steakhouse: Landry's-owned classic fine dining steakhouse with nationwide footprint and strong private dining/event business. Comparable on upscale positioning, check size, and group/event revenue mix.
• Churrascaria Plataforma: Brazilian churrascaria restaurant group primarily operating on the US East Coast. Directly comparable Brazilian steakhouse concept with rodizio-style tableside service and similar price positioning.
• The Capital Grille: Darden-owned fine dining steakhouse chain specializing in dry-aged steaks and an extensive wine program. Closely comparable to Fogo on price point, dining experience, and private dining/corporate event mix.
• Rodizio Grill: Brazilian steakhouse franchise concept with locations across the US. Closely comparable in format (continuous tableside churrasco service, salad bar) and price tier, particularly relevant given Fogo's own franchise expansion ambitions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fogorestaurants
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/fogorestaurants
• Facebookfacebook.com/fogorestaurants
• Instagraminstagram.com/fogo
• TikToktiktok.com/@fogodechao
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fogo-de-ch-o

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fogo de Chao