Fogo de Chão has opened a new restaurant in Gilbert, Arizona, marking the Brazilian steakhouse brand's second location in the state.
The Gilbert opening extends Fogo de Chão's presence in the Southwest, a region where full-service, experience-driven dining concepts have shown resilient consumer demand. For operators watching the upscale casual and polished casual segments, the move reflects continued confidence in brick-and-mortar expansion among established international brands even as broader restaurant industry headwinds persist.
Churrascaria Growth Trend
Fogo de Chão's Arizona expansion fits within a wider pattern of Brazilian steakhouse concepts deepening their U.S. footprint. The churrascaria format—centered on tableside rodízio service and large-format protein offerings—has proven durable across economic cycles, drawing both special-occasion diners and corporate hospitality spend. That resilience makes these brands attractive anchors for mixed-use and lifestyle retail developments, which increasingly court experiential full-service tenants.
What Operators Should Watch
For restaurant and hospitality professionals, Fogo de Chão's continued multi-unit growth in secondary and suburban markets like Gilbert signals a broader industry shift: high-check-average, experience-led brands are prioritizing suburban population centers with strong household income demographics rather than concentrating exclusively in urban cores. Gilbert, part of the Greater Phoenix metro, has been among the fastest-growing communities in the United States, making it a logical next step for a brand seeking volume alongside brand positioning.
Industry observers tracking full-service restaurant expansion will note that Fogo de Chão's two-location Arizona strategy mirrors approaches seen across other polished casual chains—test a flagship market, validate demand, then add a suburban satellite. That playbook reduces market risk while capturing incremental revenue from guests unwilling to drive to a more distant flagship. Operators in adjacent segments, from upscale casual to hotel food-and-beverage, can draw lessons from how the brand balances experiential differentiation with accessible suburban placement.
For more on how international restaurant brands are navigating U.S. growth, see our restaurant industry expansion coverage and reporting from our sister publication Food & Beverage Magazine on foodservice investment trends.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
