After two decades of trial and error in the Brazilian steakhouse world, Brent Gilbertson has found the perfect balance of business and barbecue: a quick-service churrascaria.
Churrascaria is the Portuguese word for barbecue, and this culinary style has become increasingly popular since Gilbertson first began his Fire of Brazil enterprise in 2002. At its peak, Fire of Brazil had 10 restaurants worldwide, spanning the Middle East and Central America.
“When we first started, there were very few Brazilian restaurants in the US,” Gilbertson told What Now Las Vegas. “I went down to Brazil, researched it, went back and forth. We started building them overseas, and it just got to be very expensive to operate, especially in the Middle East. They were spending about 4 million per store and requiring thousands of square feet to operate. With this Express concept, we can offer the same quality of meat in a much more convenient space, less than 500 square feet.”
The Express concept debuted in Downtown San Francisco several years ago, and it has seen significant growth since then. Las Vegans can expect a similar menu, including picanha steak, chicken, and pork, alongside rice, beans, and salad.
Fire of Brazil Express will be replacing The Halal Guys in The Grand Canal Shoppes. However, this isn’t the only plan that franchisees Geraldine Luzuriaga and Glorie Latriz have in the works. They also plan to open a halo-halo shop in conjunction with the churrascaria.
Gilbertson predicts that both restaurants will open in late March or early April.
