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Fogo de Chão cuts ribbon in Elmhurst

Jessica Meditz on December 7, 2022

Brazilian steakhouse experience comes to Queens

By Jessica Meditz

jmeditz@queensledger.com

General manager Katie Calvin cut the ribbon with a Brazilian gaucho knife.

Queens residents are now able to enjoy a Brazilian steakhouse experience without having to travel far.

Fogo de Chão, an internationally renowned restaurant founded in Southern Brazil in 1979, has finally opened its doors in Elmhurst at 92-50 59th Avenue.

The location’s team as well as supporters gathered for a ribbon cutting ceremony on Nov. 30 to commemorate the achievement and indulge in a night of fine dining.

Fogo de Chão’s Elmhurst location faced some construction-related delays before it could officially open on Nov. 25. The upscale chain boasts five locations in New York and 67 worldwide.

Katie Calvin, general manager, said she feels proud to hear all the positive feedback from the community, and is excited to welcome more guests to the restaurant.

“I don’t think there’s anything like this in Queens. Some people have said about our bar that they don’t see something like this unless they go to the city,” she said. “It’s been really good feedback. We had around 400 people on Saturday and 200 people on Friday.”

Fogo de Chão is well known for their churrasco experience, which involves continuous tableside service of signature cuts of fire roasted meat. Fraidinha and Picanha are among the variety of meats offered.

They offer a buffet-style market table, which includes fresh charcuterie meats, fruits, salads and more, starting at $15 per person.

Among Fogo de Chão’s variety of options is their market table, including charcuterie meats, fresh fruits and more.

Fogo de Chão also has delectable brunch and lunch options, as well as a full bar complete with small plates, happy hour deals and special cocktails. Caipirinha, the national drink of Brazil made with Silver Cachaça, is a popular favorite on the menu.

Calvin said that 102 employees currently work at the new Fogo de Chão location, and that she could actually hire a few more.

Tom Grech, president and CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce, commended Fogo de Chão for bringing so many new job opportunities to the borough, and said that he will continue to support and visit the restaurant.

“We all know that New York City, frankly, has been lagging in the recovery post-COVID. But it’s commitments like these people from Fogo that helped get us back,” he said.

Fogo de Chão continues to show its support to the community. Back in August, the restaurant partnered with Queens Together at First Baptist Church of Elmhurst to provide fresh, high quality meals to over 1,500 locals.

Calvin added that Fogo de Chão donated 10 percent of their opening week sales to Mets third baseman Eduardo Escobar’s foundation, where he provides children in Venezuela with baseball materials, opportunities, food and supplies.

The Fogo team is open to more charitable opportunities in the future, and strives to cater to each guest’s dietary needs, making their dining experience unique.

“Our mission is to ignite fire and joy with our team, our guests and our community. We understand that we all lived through the last few years, but what it means to be in a community in our industry is so valuable to us,” said Barry McGowan, CEO of Fogo de Chão.

“Restaurants make up the soul of every community, and we want to be a valued part of that,” he continued. “We are very grateful to be here.”

Calvin cut the ribbon to commemorate the occasion with a Brazilian gaucho sword, paying homage to the unique culture Fogo de Chão will expose so many residents to.

Fogo de Chão partners with Queens Together to feed locals

Jessica Meditz on August 15, 2022

First Queens location to open in Elmhurst later this year

By Jessica Meditz

jmeditz@queensledger.com

Fogo de Chão, an internationally renowned restaurant founded in Southern Brazil in 1979, will soon make its Queens debut.

Later this year, the restaurant will open a brand new location next to Queens Center Mall in Elmhurst—marking its first Queens location, fifth in New York and 67th globally.

In preparation and celebration of the upcoming opening, Fogo de Chão partnered with Queens Together, an organization formed during the COVID-19 lockdown to address food insecurity.

Last Friday, the two groups came together at First Baptist Church of Elmhurst to provide fresh, high quality meals to over 1,500 community residents.

Fogo de Chão and volunteers worked together to provide people with meats butchered and prepared on their full-sized mobile churrasco grills.

Folks enjoyed their signature churrasco-style meats—Fraidinha and Picanha—along with mixed greens and their well-loved potato salad.

“Coming to Queens is such an amazing opportunity for us because it’s the most culturally diverse city and borough, and that’s what we love to do at Fogo,” Katie Calvin, general manager of Fogo de Chão, said.

“Especially for people who are from Latino or Hispanic countries, they often don’t have somewhere to go that feels like home,” she continued. “That’s why we love that we’re coming to Queens; we’re really excited.”

In addition to the Queens event, Fogo de Chão is committed to providing for the communities they serve, and arranges for mobile events to take place across the U.S.

Queens Together was also proud of their presence at the event, continuing their mission of empowering, representing and supporting the local restaurant community, as well as Queens residents in need.

We’re just trying to be a forward-facing program. We try to close all the gaps and connect people with food and services, and with restaurants in general, our biggest thing is trying to help them stay in business,” Devin Kloss, media director at Queens Together, said.

“Our goal is just to be somebody that they can call when they have a question, and then either we’ll find out the answer, or we’ll find the person to get them the answer,” he continued. “That’s really our goal.”

Mets third baseman Eduardo Escobar helped prepare food at the event.

Also in attendance was third baseman for the Mets, Eduardo Escobar, who is a big fan of the restaurant.

“It was actually a really organic, beautiful connection that was made with Eduardo. He started to eat at Fogo, and we started to hear him saying, ‘Fogo power,’ and ‘I play better after Fogo,’” Calvin said.

“Now we have luckily have a really tight-bonded relationship, and a percentage of our sales go to his foundation, where he provides to kids mostly in Venezuela with baseball materials, opportunities, food and supplies.”

Escobar spoke fondly of Fogo de Chão as he helped prepare the meats that went out into the community, and is happy that the restaurant so close to his heart is now physically close to him, where he plays baseball.

“The food is just so delicious, and I love everything about it. The people are also so nice,” Escobar said.

“Everything they’re doing to help the community is so important and special, and this is an amazing opportunity,” he continued. “God bless this restaurant. The food helps me feel at home.”

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