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 |
| Genre | Fine dining |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Founders | Arri and Jair Coser |
| 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), Larry Johnson (Director), Tony Laday (CFO), Rick Lenderman (COO), Janet Gieselman (CMO), Selma Oliveira (CPO/CCO), Andrew Feldmann (Pres Int'l) |
| Products | Churrasco |
| Owner |
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Fogo de Chão (pronounced FOH-goh jee shawn) is a popular Brazilian restaurant chain. It's famous for its rodízio-style steakhouses, which means you get continuous servings of delicious barbecued meats. The restaurant was started in 1979 by two brothers, Arri and Jair Coser. They specialize in Southern Brazilian cooking, especially churrasco (barbecued meats) and traditional side dishes. Today, Fogo de Chão has over 70 locations in countries like Brazil, the United States (including Puerto Rico), Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Mexico.
Contents
What is Fogo de Chão?
The name Fogo de Chão means "ground fire" in Portuguese. This name refers to how traditional Brazilian cowboys, called gaúchos, used to cook meats over an open fire on the ground.
At Fogo de Chão, you can enjoy a "full churrasco experience." This means servers bring a continuous supply of fire-roasted meats right to your table. You can try different kinds of beef, lamb, pork, and chicken. There's also a large buffet, called the "Market Table," with salads and other side dishes. You can also order individual items from a menu.
Most Fogo de Chão restaurants are in busy cities across the United States and other countries. They are usually quite large, often around 10,600 square feet. Each restaurant typically has a main dining area, the "Market Table" buffet, and a bar called "Bar Fogo."
The restaurant in Midtown Manhattan is a very special location. It's huge, about 16,000 square feet, and has three levels. It also has private dining areas for special events. The design of the restaurants is meant to feel "warm and modern" to make your dining experience even better.
Besides eating at the restaurant, you can also get Fogo de Chão food to go. They offer pickup, delivery, and even full catering services for events.
How Fogo de Chão Started
The founders of Fogo de Chão, Arri and Jair Coser, grew up on a farm in Southern Brazil. This is where they learned the traditional churrasco way of grilling meat. The brothers then went to bigger cities like Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo to get more training and develop their restaurant idea.
Their very first restaurant was a simple wooden building in the countryside near Porto Alegre, Brazil. After that, they opened a second restaurant in São Paulo. Tourists visiting the São Paulo restaurant loved the food so much that they encouraged the brothers to open a churrascaria (steakhouse) in other countries.
In 1997, the Coser brothers opened their first restaurant in the United States, in Addison, Texas. From 1997 to 2020, Fogo de Chão continued to grow around the world. They opened 57 restaurants in the US, Brazil, Mexico, and the Middle East. The company plans to keep expanding even more.
Who Owns Fogo de Chão?
Over the years, Fogo de Chão has had different owners. In 2006, a Brazilian company called GP Investments first invested in the restaurant. Later, in 2012, an American company named Thomas H. Lee Partners bought their shares.
In 2015, Fogo de Chão became a public company, which means its shares could be bought and sold on the Nasdaq stock exchange. It traded under the symbol FOGO. However, in 2018, another company called Rhône Capital bought Fogo de Chão, making it a private company again. More recently, in August 2023, Bain Capital agreed to buy the restaurant chain for about $1.1 billion.
Other Things Fogo de Chão Does
In 2019, Fogo de Chão started working with a company called HerdX. They use special technology called blockchain and digital tags to track where the beef served in the restaurants comes from. This means that customers can scan a special code and find out the name and location of the ranch where the cattle were raised.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Fogo de Chão restaurants in places like Troy, Michigan, and San Francisco, worked with a non-profit organization called No Kid Hungry. They donated meals to families in need, hospitals, and other important places to help their communities.
Fogo de Chão in Pop Culture
- Fogo de Chão was mentioned in the Amazon original series The Boys, in Season 1, episode 2.
- In the Epic Rap Battles of History Season 6 video, Vlad the Impaler vs Count Dracula, Vlad mentions Fogo de Chão in his first rap verse.
See also
In Spanish: Fogo de Chão para niños
