Fogo de Chão Opens First Location of the Year in Naperville, IL

DALLAS, Jan. 15, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fogo de Chão (NASDAQ:FOGO) today announced the opening of its newest restaurant in Naperville, IL, marking the third Chicago location for the company and the first opening of the year. The new restaurant, located at 1824 Abriter Court, opened January 14 and is the 31^st Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse in the United States, and the 42^nd restaurant overall for the company.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/61021b26-0a64-4843-b4ac-77ac44dad105

Fogo de Chão Naperville is located at Freedom Commons, just minutes away from Naperville’s Downtown District. This location is one of the first to offer a new Gaucho Lunch Menu, featuring convenient options to meet weekday lunchtime diners’ busy schedules. The new space also features a lively bar area that is home to Bar Fogo, offering a more casual way to experience Fogo with shareable small plates, cocktails and daily Happy Hour specials in the bar.

“Naperville is an exciting dining destination, filled with restaurants that feature food from many of the world’s greatest cities,” said Larry Johnson, Chief Executive Officer of Fogo de Chão. “We are excited to be a part of that by sharing our celebrated dining experience with this dynamic community.”

The restaurant’s design is contemporary with warm, traditional touches that pay homage to the farm culture of Southern Brazil. Guests enter the restaurant through a stately glass and steel tower accented with warm glowing light. Inside, a 16-foot bas-relief sculpture of the famous Brazilian statue, O’Laçador presides over the dining room, while an open kitchen showcases the gaucho chefs and the centuries-old culinary grilling tradition of churrasco. The centerpiece of the restaurant is a 30-foot atrium supported by four hand-crafted abstract interpretations of the indigenous Araucaria tree from Brazil.

The Naperville culinary team is proudly led by Head Gaucho Chef Joacir Roscete, who first learned the gaucho style of cooking on his family farm in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. The restaurant features a wealth of savory, fire-roasted meats cooked to perfection over an open fire, including house specialties the Picanha (signature sirloin), Filet, Ribeye, Fraldinha, Cordeiro (lamb) and more. Additionally, Fogo offers a gourmet Market Table with an abundance of seasonal salads, fresh vegetables, hot side dishes, a charcuterie area, smoked salmon and Southern Brazilian side dishes. To further complement the dining experience, the restaurant offers an award-winning wine list, tempting dessert menu, and creative and classic cocktails. Guests can also choose between the lighter seafood selections or enjoy the gourmet Market Table only option.

For hours of operation and additional information, please visit www.FOGO.com.

About Fogo de Chão

Fogo de Chão (fogo-dee-shoun) is a leading Brazilian steakhouse, or churrascaria, which has specialized for over 36 years in fire-roasting high-quality meats utilizing the centuries-old Southern Brazilian cooking technique of churrasco. Fogo delivers a distinctive and authentic Brazilian dining experience through the combination of high-quality Brazilian cuisine and a differentiated service model known as espeto corrido (Portuguese for "continuous service") delivered by gaucho chefs. Fogo offers its guests a tasting menu of meats featuring up to 20 cuts, a gourmet Market Table with seasonal salads, soup and fresh vegetables, seafood, desserts, signature cocktails and an award-winning wine list. The first Fogo de Chão opened in Brazil in 1979. The Company currently operates 31 restaurants in the United States, 10 in Brazil and one joint venture restaurant in Mexico. Visit FOGO.com for more information.

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