Fogo de Chão facts for kids
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Fogo de Chão steakhouse in Washington, DC
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| Private | |
| Traded as | NASDAQ: FOGO (2015–2018) |
| Industry | Restaurants Franchising |
| Genre | Fine dining |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Founders | Arri and Jair Coser Jorge and Aleixo Ongaratto |
| Headquarters |
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US
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Number of locations
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62 |
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Area served
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United States, Brazil, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, UAE |
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Key people
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Barry McGowan (CEO), Wagner lacort (director), Tony Laday (CFO), Rick Lenderman (COO), Janet Gieselman (CMO), Giancarlo Moreira (Board Member), Selma Oliveira (CPO/CCO), Andrew Feldmann (Pres Int'l) |
| Products | Churrasco |
| Owner |
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Fogo de Chão, Inc. (pronounced FOH-goo jee SHOWN) is a popular Brazilian restaurant that serves delicious grilled meats. Its name means "Ground Fire" in Portuguese. The restaurant is famous for its rodízio style, which means servers bring different kinds of meat directly to your table.
It was started in 1979 by brothers Arri and Jair Coser, along with Jorge and Aleixo Ongaratto. They specialize in Southern Brazilian barbecue, known as churrasco. Fogo de Chão began in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Today, it has over 70 locations around the world. You can find them in Brazil, the United States (including Puerto Rico), Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Mexico.
Contents
What is Fogo de Chão?
The name Fogo de Chão refers to an old way of cooking. It's how gauchos (Brazilian cowboys) used to roast meats over an open fire on the ground. At Fogo de Chão, you can enjoy a "full churrasco experience." This means you get endless servings of fire-roasted beef, lamb, pork, and chicken.
The restaurants also have a large salad bar called the "Market Table." You can choose from many fresh salads and side dishes there. There is also a bar area, known as "Bar Fogo." Most Fogo de Chão restaurants are in busy cities in the US. They are usually quite large, about 10,600 square feet.
The Fogo de Chão in midtown Manhattan is a very special location. It has three levels and is about 16,000 square feet. This restaurant has private dining areas for special events. The design of the restaurants is meant to feel warm and modern. The company has been updating older restaurants to match this new look.
Besides eating at the restaurant, you can also get Fogo de Chão food to go. They offer pickup, delivery, and even full-service catering for events.
How Fogo de Chão Started
The founders, Arri and Jair Coser, grew up on a farm in Southern Brazil. There, they learned how to cook using the churrasco grilling method. Jorge and Aleixo Ongaratto also came from the same region. They learned about churrasco early in life. They also worked in other churrascaria restaurants, learning even more about Brazilian barbecue.
Their combined knowledge led them to open the first Fogo de Chão. It was a simple wooden building in the countryside near Porto Alegre. Later, they opened a second restaurant in São Paulo. Tourists visiting the São Paulo restaurant encouraged them to open a churrascaria in other countries.
In 1997, the Coser brothers opened their first restaurant in the United States. This was in Addison, Texas. From 1997 to 2020, Fogo de Chão grew a lot. They opened 57 restaurants across the US, Brazil, Mexico, and the Middle East. The company has plans to keep growing around the world.
Who Owns Fogo de Chão?
A Brazilian company called GP Investments first invested in Fogo de Chão in 2006. They later sold their shares to an American company, Thomas H. Lee Partners, in 2012. Fogo de Chão became a public company on April 20, 2015. Its shares were traded on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the symbol FOGO.
However, on April 5, 2018, another company called Rhône Capital bought Fogo de Chão. More recently, in August 2023, Bain Capital bought the restaurant chain. The deal was reported to be worth about $1.1 billion.
Other Activities
In April 2019, Fogo de Chão started working with a company called HerdX. HerdX uses special technology called blockchain and digital tags. This helps track where the beef served at Fogo de Chão comes from. Diners can scan a QR code to learn the name and location of the ranch where the cattle were raised. This helps people know more about their food.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Fogo de Chão restaurants also helped their communities. Locations in places like Troy, Michigan and San Francisco worked with a non-profit group called No Kid Hungry. They donated meals to families in need, hospitals, and other organizations.
Fogo de Chão in Pop Culture
Fogo de Chão has been mentioned in popular TV shows and videos.
- It appeared in Amazon’s original series The Boys, in Season 1, episode 2.
- It was also mentioned in the Epic Rap Battles of History Season 6 video, Vlad the Impaler vs Count Dracula.
See also
In Spanish: Fogo de Chão para niños
