Grupo El Dourado

What Grupo El Dourado does

Grupo El Dourado is a Brazilian food and beverage services company headquartered in São Paulo that specializes in catering, food court management, and restaurant operations for large and mega events. The company operates as the official A&B (food and beverage) supplier for major São Paulo convention centers including São Paulo Expo, Distrito Anhembi, Pro Magno Centro de Eventos, and Blue Med Convention Center, executing 1,650+ operations per year across 150+ events including CCXP, Rock in Rio, Hospitalar, FEICON, Expert XP, and Gamescom Latam, with capacity for 15 simultaneous events and 3+ million meals served annually.

Its service portfolio is organized around four revenue streams: managed food court (praça de alimentação) operations that aggregate licensed national brands such as Domino's Pizza, Spoleto, Vivenda do Camarão, and Casa do Pão de Queijo; professional catering services covering stands, congresses, conventions, cocktails, brunches, lunches, dinners, and graduations; restaurant operations through four owned concepts (Le Sampah, Restaurante Anexo, Anexo Service, Ali na Doca); and food voucher sales for exhibitor teams. Pricing is quote-based and customized per event, with no publicly disclosed price list. The company holds a Guinness World Record for selling 120,000+ pizzas at Rock in Rio 2017.

In 2024, Grupo El Dourado entered a formal agreement with Sapore S/A and adopted the commercial brand 'El Dourado by Sapore,' consolidating its position as the largest event food service company in Brazil. Headcount comprises 300+ dedicated employees supported by 1,500+ subcontracted professionals annually. Distribution is direct via on-site service at venues, supplemented by owned restaurants at São Paulo Expo and Distrito Anhembi and WhatsApp-driven commercial outreach. No AI/ML capabilities, patents, or regulatory actions are disclosed.

Name

Grupo El Dourado

Legal name

Grupo El Dourado

Website

https://grupoeld.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Grupo El Dourado is a São Paulo-based food and beverage services company that operates as the official caterer and food court manager for Brazil's largest convention centers and mega-events, serving 3+ million meals annually across 150+ events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Catering and Food Services

NAICS

Caterers (722320), Food Service Contractors (722310)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate & Business Event Catering (THAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Conference & Convention Center Catering (THAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Event catering services
• Food court management
• Convention center catering
• Corporate event catering
• Restaurant operations

Headquarters

HQ city

São Paulo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Food Court Operations (Praça de Alimentação): Management and operation of food courts at events, bringing multiple branded food concepts together. Revenue generated from operational fees and partnership arrangements with national and international food brands.
2. Catering Services: Full catering services for stands, corporate events, congresses, conventions, cocktail events, brunches, and lunches. Services include customized menus with company branding options.
3. Restaurant Operations: Operation of owned restaurants at event venues (Le Sampah, Restaurante Anexo, Anexo Service, Ali na Doca). Self-service buffet and à la carte dining options for event attendees.
4. Food Voucher Sales: Sale of food vouchers for exhibitors and their teams during event setup and breakdown periods.
5. Licensed Brand Partnerships: Exclusive contracts through partnerships, licenses and franchises for participation in fairs and events with major national and international food brands.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Grupo El Dourado provides end-to-end food and beverage services for large and mega events across Brazil, operating as the official A&B supplier for São Paulo's major convention centers. Its offering spans catering (stands, plated dinners, buffets, cocktails, brunch, coffee breaks), multi-brand food court (praça de alimentação) management, owned restaurants inside partner venues, and exclusive licensed food brand operations. The company delivered 150+ events, 1,650+ operations, and 3+ million meals in the most recent year, with capacity for up to 15 simultaneous events.

Product overview

Grupo El Dourado is a Brazilian food and beverage (A&B) services company specializing in large and mega events. Its portfolio is structured as a unified service offering organized around a core catering and food court management platform, supplemented by multiple restaurant locations and exclusive brand operations. Core services include Catering (stand and event catering), Coffee Break, Brunch, Cocktails, Buffet, Lunch in Box, Food Vouchers, and dedicated services for congresses, conventions, dinners, graduations, product launches, social events, live marketing events, and business fairs. The company also operates four fixed and semi-permanent restaurant locations: Le Sampah (Distrito Anhembi), Restaurante Anexo (São Paulo Expo mezzanine), Anexo Service (outside São Paulo Expo), and Ali na Doca (Distrito Anhembi docks). Exclusive brand operations include Domino's Pizza (with a Guinness World Record operation at Rock in Rio) and the Erdinger Hütt'n (the only official Erdinger Bavarian beer bar in Latin America). In 2024, the company formalized its partnership with Sapore S/A under the El Dourado by Sapore brand, consolidating its position as the largest event food services company in Brazil.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Event Catering Service On-site food preparation and serving for events without existing kitchen infrastructure, covering all types of catering from stand catering to plated dinner service for corporate clients and event organizers.
• Coffee Break Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 120,000+ pizzas sold at Rock in Rio 2017 (Guinness World Record)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Sapore S/AcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024In 2024, Grupo El Dourado signed an agreement with Sapore S/A, expanding operations and consolidating as the largest company in the event food service segment in Brazil. The company operates under the brand 'El Dourado by Sapore'.
• São Paulo ExpocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial A&B supplier for São Paulo Expo exhibition and convention center. Operates Restaurante Anexo and Anexo Service at the venue.
• Distrito AnhembicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial A&B supplier for Distrito Anhembi venue. Operates Le Sampah restaurant and Ali na Doca at the docks area.
• Pro Magno Centro de EventoscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial A&B supplier for Pro Magno Centro de Eventos.
• Blue Med Convention CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial A&B supplier for Blue Med Convention Center in Santos.
• Domino's PizzaflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerExclusive franchise partnership for Domino's Pizza operations at events. Set Guinness World Record with 120,000+ pizzas sold at Rock in Rio 2017. A brand consistently present in food courts.
• Erdinger (Erdinger Hütt'n)minorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerExclusive operation of Erdinger Hütt'n German beer garden concept at São Paulo Expo. The only official Erdinger bar in Latin America. (Operation concluded after 6 years in 2023).
• SpoletominorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerOne of the major food brands brought to the market through the company's food court operations.
• Vivenda do CamarãominorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerMajor food brand represented in event food court operations.
• Casa do Pão de QueijominorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerMajor food brand represented in event food court operations.
• Adilson Jr (Racing Driver)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAutomobile racing sponsorship partnership. Adilson Jr represents El Dourado by Sapore branding on his racing car and gear. Currently leading the championship after winning the first stage.
• Gustavo Reis (Racing Driver)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAutomobile racing sponsorship partnership representing El Dourado by Sapore brand.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Legends Hospitality: U.S. hospitality company specializing in sports and entertainment venue food, beverage, and merchandise. Closely comparable operating model: exclusive venue concessions, premium hospitality, branded partner activations, and large-event scale.
• Levy (formerly Centerplate): U.S. event/convention-venue hospitality and catering company operating concessions and catering at stadiums and convention centers. Closest international analog for venue-anchored, exclusive A&B supplier model with multi-event concurrent operations.
• Sapore S/A: Parent company of Grupo El Dourado since the 2024 agreement; Brazilian publicly-traded corporate catering and foodservice operator. Most directly comparable: same Brazilian market, overlapping corporate catering customer base, and similar managed-services and food court operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Aramark: Global diversified foodservice and uniform services giant with a large Sports & Entertainment segment serving stadiums, arenas, and convention centers. Comparable at the operational layer (large-scale event catering, licensed-brand concessions, multi-venue contracts).
• Delaware North: Global hospitality and food service company specializing in venue concessions at sports and entertainment facilities. Comparable through its sports/event concessions model, branded partner activations, and high-volume per-event meal service.
• Sodexo Live!: Sodexo's dedicated live events hospitality division operating at stadiums, convention centers, and major festivals globally. Comparable model: exclusive venue concessions contracts, branded food courts, premium hospitality suites, and mega-event catering.
• Areas (autogrill group): Global travel hospitality and concession operator serving airports, highways, and event venues. Comparable in branded food court operations, exclusive venue concessions, and worldwide mega-event catering partnerships.

Regional players

• International Meal Company (IMC): Brazilian foodservice operator running multiple brands (Olive Garden, Pizza Hut, etc.) across Brazil and the Americas. Comparable through Brazil-based brand licensing, foodservice operations, and corporate catering.
• Grupo Trigo (Trigo): Brazilian foodservice group operating restaurants and corporate catering. Comparable via Brazil-based corporate and event food service, with similar managed-services and B2B contract profile to Grupo El Dourado's catering arm.

Emerging players

• OVG Hospitality (Oak View Group): Hospitality arm focused on venue management and premium dining at new arena and convention projects. Comparable in exclusive venue-A&B supplier positioning and event-driven hospitality revenue model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ElDouradoTexas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grupo-eldourado
• Instagraminstagram.com/eldouradooficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 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 Grupo El Dourado