Rodizio Grill

Rodizio Grill is a Brazilian steakhouse restaurant brand established in the United States. Its restaurants follow the churrascaria, or rodízio, style of dining: guests are served a continuing rotation of grilled meats that are carried on long skewers and carved tableside according to each guest’s preference. The format is generally complemented by a central salad bar and a hot-food selection featuring Latin American staples such as rice and beans. The brand was founded by Ivan Utrera, a native of São Paulo, Brazil. Utrera grew up with churrasco, the Brazilian barbecue tradition that influenced the concept, and later moved to the United States for higher education. He earned a Master of Business Administration from Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Management in 1992. Before launching Rodizio Grill, he worked in marketing for Pizza Hut and PepsiCo, including assignments serving Latin American and U.S. markets. His experience in a large multinational consumer business provided a commercial background, while his Brazilian heritage supplied the culinary and cultural basis for the restaurant concept. Utrera left PepsiCo in 1995 to develop an independent restaurant business. Rodizio Grill opened its first location in Littleton, Colorado, in 1996. The company describes that restaurant as the first churrascaria established in the United States. Its early growth included a flagship location in Salt Lake City, Utah, and by 2000 the business had reached six restaurants. The company received a Hot Concepts Award from Nation’s Restaurant News in 1999, an early indication of industry interest in its adaptation of the Brazilian steakhouse format for the U.S. market. The brand’s early expansion was not uniformly linear, and several initial locations later closed. Rodizio Grill subsequently developed a franchise model, welcoming its first franchisee in Fort Collins, Colorado, in 2009. Franchising became an important route for expansion. By June 2020, the brand reported 22 locations in 13 U.S. states; the referenced Wikipedia material lists 26 U.S. locations as of June 2026. Rodizio Grill’s customer proposition combines an interactive tableside service ritual with broad access to grilled proteins and buffet-style accompaniments. In addition to its regular menu, the brand periodically introduces promotional menu programs, including Wild Game Fest and Bacon Fest. These events give individual restaurants or the wider brand opportunities to emphasize limited-time food selections and create reasons for repeat visits. The company also presents itself as a participant in community and charitable activities. It supports the Image Reborn Foundation, which provides no-cost weekend retreats for breast cancer survivors, while individual restaurants support local charities and nonprofit organizations. Rodizio Grill has also sponsored Bruno Carneiro, a Formula 3 racecar driver. The available reference material does not identify a publicly traded parent, a current corporate headquarters, or operations outside the United States.

Rodizio Grill originated with Ivan Utrera, who was born in São Paulo and grew up familiar with churrasco, the Brazilian barbecue tradition. The dining style became the foundation for a restaurant concept he later developed in the United States. Utrera pursued business education in the United States and completed a Master of Business Administration at Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Management in 1992. Before entering restaurant ownership, Utrera worked in marketing for Pizza Hut and its parent company, PepsiCo. His responsibilities included Latin American markets and later the U.S. market. Although the corporate experience gave him exposure to large-scale consumer marketing, he eventually became interested in creating an independent restaurant business rather than continuing within a large corporate structure. Utrera left PepsiCo in 1995 and began developing a U.S. restaurant based on the Brazilian churrascaria model. The first Rodizio Grill opened in Littleton, Colorado, in 1996. The concept centered on a continuous procession of grilled meats: servers bring proteins on long skewers and carve them at the table, allowing guests to choose portions and control their dining pace. A central salad bar and a hot bar with Latin American foods provide additional components of the meal. The company expanded during the late 1990s. In 1999, Nation’s Restaurant News recognized Rodizio Grill with a Hot Concepts Award. By 2000, the business had six restaurants, including a flagship location in Salt Lake City, Utah, and was reported to be generating $14 million in annual revenue at that time. The available source material does not provide a current financial figure or an independently verified financial update, so the historical revenue figure is not used as a current valuation or performance measure. Some of the early locations later closed, but the brand continued developing its operating model. In 2009, Rodizio Grill accepted its first franchisee in Fort Collins, Colorado. Franchising subsequently supported the company’s geographic growth. By June 2020, Rodizio Grill had 22 locations in 13 states. The referenced Wikipedia material states that the system had 26 U.S. locations as of June 2026. Beyond its core rodízio service, the brand has used promotional menu programs to vary the customer experience. Examples include Wild Game Fest and Bacon Fest, which temporarily emphasize particular ingredient categories or menu themes. The restaurants also participate in community activities. Rodizio Grill supports the Image Reborn Foundation, an organization that provides free weekend retreats for breast cancer survivors, and individual locations support local charities and nonprofit groups. The brand has also sponsored Formula 3 driver Bruno Carneiro. Rodizio Grill remains a U.S.-based Brazilian steakhouse brand. The available reference material identifies its U.S. restaurant network and franchise development, but does not establish a public listing, a publicly disclosed parent company, a current headquarters address, or international operations.

• 2026

  U.S. network listed at 26 locations

  [1]Rodizio Grillen.wikipedia.org

  The referenced Wikipedia material lists 26 locations in the United States as of June 2026.

• 2020

  U.S. network reaches 22 locations

  [1]Rodizio Grillen.wikipedia.org

  The brand was reported to operate 22 locations in 13 states by June 2020.

• 2009

  First franchisee joins the system

  [1]Rodizio Grillen.wikipedia.org

  Rodizio Grill accepted its first franchisee in Fort Collins, Colorado.

• 2000

  The chain reaches six restaurants

  [1]Rodizio Grillen.wikipedia.org

  The business had six restaurants, including a flagship in Salt Lake City, Utah.

• 1999

  Hot Concepts Award

  [1]Rodizio Grillen.wikipedia.org

  Nation’s Restaurant News recognized Rodizio Grill with a Hot Concepts Award.

• 1996

  First restaurant opens in Littleton

  [1]Rodizio Grillen.wikipedia.org

  Rodizio Grill opened in Littleton, Colorado, and introduced its Brazilian steakhouse format to the U.S. market.

• 1995

  Rodizio Grill is founded

  [1]Rodizio Grillen.wikipedia.org

  Utrera left PepsiCo and began establishing a restaurant business based on the Brazilian churrascaria model.

• 1992

  Ivan Utrera completes an MBA

  [1]Rodizio Grillen.wikipedia.org

  Founder Ivan Utrera earned a Master of Business Administration from Brigham Young University’s Marriott School of Management.

A Brazilian churrascaria adapted for the U.S. full-service restaurant market, differentiated by theatrical tableside carving, continuous service, and a combination of grilled meats with salad- and hot-bar selections.

• Restaurant dining format · 1996

  Rodízio tableside service

  The brand’s central offering is a Brazilian churrascaria service format in which servers circulate through the dining room with grilled meats mounted on long skewers. Meat is carved tableside and portions are provided according to each guest’s preference. The continuous service creates an interactive meal rather than a conventional entrée-based restaurant experience.

• Main course · 1996

  Grilled Brazilian barbecue meats

  Rodizio Grill’s protein service is based on churrasco, the Brazilian barbecue tradition. A rotating selection of grilled proteins is brought through the dining room on skewers and carved directly at guests’ tables. The available reference material does not provide a complete current list of cuts or proteins, so the offering is described at category level rather than by individual menu item.

• Side dishes and buffet · 1996

  Salad bar

  The restaurant format includes a central salad bar combining prepared and house-made salads. It provides a self-service component alongside the tableside meat rotation and broadens the meal beyond grilled proteins.

• Side dishes and buffet · 1996

  Latin American hot bar

  A hot bar supplies traditional Latin American accompaniments, including rice and beans. This buffet-style element complements the tableside churrasco service and reinforces the brand’s Brazilian and broader Latin American culinary positioning.

• Limited-time menu

  Wild Game Fest

  Wild Game Fest is a periodic promotional menu program that gives the brand an opportunity to feature wild-game selections or a related themed assortment. The supplied reference material confirms the promotion but does not specify a standard recurring menu, exact ingredients, or fixed schedule.

• Limited-time menu

  Bacon Fest

  Bacon Fest is a periodic promotional menu event built around bacon-focused food offerings. It is used as a menu variation and customer-engagement feature, although the supplied sources do not establish a permanent product range or regular calendar.

• Wild Game Fest

  United States

  Rodizio Grill periodically introduces Wild Game Fest as a themed menu promotion designed to vary the restaurant’s regular churrascaria offering.

  Outcome. The available source confirms the promotion but does not report a quantified commercial outcome.

  Source
• Bacon Fest

  United States

  Bacon Fest is a periodic promotional menu centered on bacon-themed offerings and used to create a limited-time variation of the standard menu.

  Outcome. No quantified campaign results are provided in the available reference material.

  Source
• Image Reborn Foundation support

  United States

  Rodizio Grill supports the Image Reborn Foundation, which provides no-cost weekend retreats for breast cancer survivors.

  Outcome. The source identifies the charitable relationship but does not provide donation totals or measured outcomes.

  Source

• 2009

  Adopt franchising as a growth channelStrategy

  Background

  After an initial period of company development and changes among early locations, the brand sought a model that could support broader geographic expansion.

  Action taken

  Rodizio Grill accepted its first franchisee in Fort Collins, Colorado.

  Aftermath

  Franchising became an important part of subsequent expansion, with 22 locations reported across 13 states by June 2020.

  Source

• 1995

  Move from corporate marketing to restaurant ownershipStrategy

  Background

  After working in marketing for Pizza Hut and PepsiCo, Ivan Utrera became interested in creating an independent restaurant based on the Brazilian churrascaria tradition.

  Action taken

  Utrera left PepsiCo and developed the Rodizio Grill concept for the U.S. market.

  Aftermath

  The first restaurant opened in Littleton, Colorado, in 1996, establishing the brand’s U.S. operating model.

  Source

• Introduce themed promotional menusProduct launch

  Background

  The brand periodically varies its core restaurant offer to create limited-time reasons for customers to return.

  Action taken

  Rodizio Grill introduced promotional programs including Wild Game Fest and Bacon Fest.

  Aftermath

  The promotions expanded the menu narrative beyond the standard meat rotation, although the available source does not report financial or traffic results.

  Source

1. 1Rodizio Grillen.wikipedia.org