Name: Daniel Duran
New title: Chief financial officer, Fogo de Chão
Previous title: Senior vice president, financial planning and analysis and investor relations, Fogo de Chão
Daniel Duran succeeded Tony Laday as CFO at Fogo de Chão on July 20, according to a Thursday press release. Duran will lead the company’s financial strategy, planning, accounting, treasury, tax, investor relations and business analytics functions. Laday will serve as an advisor to the brand for an unspecified period to aid with the transition.
Laday, who spent more than 12 years at the fine dining steak chain, announced his intention to retire in April. Laday’s tenure spanned the chain’s initial public offering in 2015, its acquisition by Rhône Capital three years later, and its 2023 sale to Bain Capital.
Over that long tenure, Fogo expanded from 35 locations to 122 restaurants. The brand weathered and then bounced back from the COVID-19 pandemic, built strong average unit volumes, diversified its menu to appeal to younger diners, and recently deployed an artificial intelligence voice ordering system.
Those accomplishments leave Duran with big shoes to fill. Duran has worked at the chain since November, when he joined the chain from BJ’s Restaurants where he had worked in finance and corporate strategy for about four years, according to his LinkedIn profile. He also spent about a decade at Hot Topic.
At those companies, Duran “supported strategic planning, business performance, and operational growth initiatives,” according to the press release.
CEO Barry McGowan said Duran had quickly adapted to the company and “earned the trust and respect of our team through his strategic mindset, collaborative approach, and commitment to our culture.”
Duran said Fogo possessed “tremendous momentum, an incredible culture, and a talented team. I look forward to partnering across the organization to support our continued growth while staying true to what makes Fogo special."
Fogo’s growth has continued this year, powered by new menu items like its seasonal Spicy Steak. The brand has opened several new units in the last few months, including a restaurant in North Carolina, another in New York, and two in Santiago, Chile, its first locations in that country.
