Fazenda, the Brazilian ‘rodizio’ restaurant concept with one site in Leeds, has announced plans to open a second site in Liverpool this autumn and then further sites in Manchester and Birmingham following a £2m investment from the business’s owner City District.
The first Fazenda opened in Leeds two years ago by Argentinian duo Robert Melman and Tomas Maunier. The site offers it signature table-side service in the South American ‘rodizio’ tradition - a customer pays a fixed price and the waiters bring samples of food to them at several times throughout the meal.
Fazenda will now open a 8,240sq ft restaurant at Exchange Flags in the heart of Liverpool’s business district. It will have seating capacity for 190, as well as a bar area with a capacity of 60 and an external area for 50. It will serve 15 different cuts of meat including fillet, sirloin and rib eye, as well as pork, lamb and chicken.
Melman and Maunier said they saw a gap in the market for a high-end Brazilian restaurant in the North West hence the expansion plans in the region.
Maunier, who worked in marketing before moving into restaurants, said: “Liverpool offers three things that are attractive to restaurateurs considering opening a venture in the city; a booming night-time economy, a significant volume of tourists and a people with a passion for eating out.
Melman, who has worked in the food industry for more than 15 years, added: “There’s a thriving food and drinks scene in Liverpool, and while there are some Brazilian-style restaurants here already, there is no-one who offers the same sort of high-end, tailored experience as Fazenda.
“Liverpool food-lovers are discerning, and we’re confident that gaucho-style dining is going to be a huge hit in the city.”