Fogo de Chão, the Brazilian restaurant that allows guests to make culinary discoveries at every turn, recently signed a lease agreement to open its second New Jersey location. The new restaurant is slated to open later this year at Willowbrook, a northern New Jersey modern shopping and dining destination, in the thriving township of Wayne at 1400 Willowbrook.
The restaurant located at Willowbrook will mark the second Fogo location in New Jersey, joining the recently opened restaurant in Paramus at Garden State Plaza, with an upcoming location in Bridgewater also set to open later this year.
The announcement for a location in Wayne supports the brand’s continued 15% annual restaurant growth across the U.S.
“Since opening our first New Jersey restaurant in Paramus earlier this year, our brand has received an overwhelmingly warm welcome to the community,” Barry McGowan, CEO of Fogo de Chão, said. “We are excited to continue our growth in New Jersey and bring our authentic dining experience to even more new and returning guests in the area. With its vibrant atmosphere and passion for exceptional cuisine, Wayne is the perfect city for our continued expansion efforts.”
Ryan Hidalgo, senior general manager of Willowbrook, added: “We love introducing new sought-after restaurants, brands and experiences to our center. We share the community’s excitement for Fogo de Chão and its immersive dining experience as we continue to raise the bar on our tenant lineup at Willowbrook.”
Designed in partnership with global architecture and design agency Harrison, the Wayne restaurant will showcase Fogo’s recent brand transformation with enhanced design and innovation platforms in a warm, timeless and approachable setting that complements the local Wayne community.
The restaurant will feature an expansive dining room centered around an open-air churrasco grill, offering guests a view of gaucho chefs butchering, hand-carving and grilling high-quality cuts of protein over an open flame. A white Carrera marble Market Table will be anchored at the front of the grill featuring seasonal salads, fresh superfoods, cured meats, antipasti and more. In the new restaurant, engaging social gathering spaces will be layered throughout Bar Fogo and the dining room to further enhance the guest experience and ambiance by providing inviting, conversational areas to linger and enjoy All-Day Happy Hour. Dry-aged meat lockers for in-house aging will display indulgent cuts.
