Experiential Dining: The Journey Back to Joy (Podcast)

Experiential dining is the topic in this episode of The Main Course as host Barbara Castiglia  spoke with Barry McGowan, CEO of Fogo de Chão. He shared how the brand pivoted and how they’re now expanding to deliver joy to customers.

As a leader of the brand, McGowan explained they started innovating. “We introduced seafood, Brazilian brunch on weekends, new ways to create experiences. For six years, we had positive organic growth.”

Then the pandemic hit, and experiential dining wasn’t an option. The brand pivoted, offering to-go for the first time. “We needed a new revenue channel. We started with a product list and butchered meats. Within three days, we had to-go offerings.”

Once it was safe to open, the company added more labor to focus on more service and hospitality. “We leaned into what we’re good at and what consumers want,” McGowan said.

A new episode of The Main Course, our podcast series with MarketScale, is served up every Tuesday and Thursday.