The vendor opportunity at Fogo de Chão
Fogo de Chão operates 48 US locations, all company-owned, with no franchised units reported in the 2023 FDD. The average unit volume sits at $9.37 million, and the royalty rate is 5%. The initial franchise term is 10 years, with renewal options for two additional five-year periods. For software vendors, the opportunity is a concentrated, high-revenue chain where purchasing decisions are made centrally at the Texas headquarters. The parent company, Fogo de Chão, Inc., controls all operations, meaning a single sales engagement can cover the entire US footprint.
Who controls software purchasing
The FDD lists several key executives in Item 1. G. Barry McGowan serves as Manager of Fogo de Chão US Franchise LLC and is Director and Chief Executive Officer of Fogo de Chão, Inc. Anthony Laday is Manager of the franchise entity and Chief Financial Officer. Richard Lenderman holds the Chief Operating Officer role, Andrew Feldmann is President, International, and Blake Bernet is General Counsel. No dedicated Chief Information Officer or Chief Technology Officer is named, but the C-suite group—particularly the CEO, CFO, and COO—likely forms the core buying center for enterprise software decisions.
Mandated and current tech stack
The 2023 FDD does not capture any mandated or recommended technology systems. There are no named POS vendors, no required back-office platforms, and no specified digital ordering or loyalty tools in the disclosure. This absence of mandated tech means the current stack is not publicly documented through franchise filings. Vendors should approach with discovery in mind, as the chain may use proprietary or legacy systems not disclosed to regulators.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Item 8 of the FDD, which typically outlines procurement restrictions, was not extracted in the available data. Without that signal, it is unclear whether Fogo de Chão requires franchisees—if any are added—to purchase from designated suppliers or allows open-market buying. Renewal conditions in Item 17 offer some timing insight: to renew, a franchisee must sign the then-current Franchise Agreement, complete all required refurbishments, meet sales goals, and pay a renewal fee equal to 50% of the then-current Store Franchise Fee. These renewal triggers, occurring at the 10-year mark and again at 15 and 20 years, may create natural windows for technology evaluation and replacement.
How to read the Fogo de Chão FDD
The 2023 Franchise Disclosure Document is embedded below for full review. It provides the legal and operational framework governing the brand, including the franchise agreement, fee structure, and executive disclosures. For software vendors, the key sections are Item 1 (the franchisor and its executives), Item 8 (procurement restrictions, though not captured here), and Item 11 (franchisor assistance, where tech mandates would appear if they existed). Use this document to verify the facts above and to identify any additional contacts or obligations relevant to a technology sale.
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