Revolutionizing The Brazilian Steakhouse
Tucanos Brazilian Grill offers the same quality and tastes of Brazil in an energized atmosphere at a great price.
Lindsay Sport

Steve Oldham and Joe Heeb developed Tucanos Brazilian Grill, an up and coming casual dining concept offering the quality of the traditional Brazilian steakhouse in a fun, energized, family-friendly atmosphere.

The Brazilian atmosphere can be intoxicating. A fusion of bright colors, bold flavors and high-energy fun, the culture is definitely one that all should experience in their lifetimes. For most, however, finding the time or money to experience the culture first-hand is a far off dream; so many North Americans rely on Brazilian steakhouses to serve as gateways to the fascinating vibrancy the South American country has to offer.

While many current steakhouses succeed in introducing the flavors of Brazil, they do it in a dark, formal atmosphere that can sometimes seem intimidating to the average diner. That’s why Steve Oldham and Joe Heeb developed Tucanos Brazilian Grill, an up and coming casual dining concept offering the same quality of the traditional Brazilian steakhouse in a fun, energized, family-friendly atmosphere.

“We really felt that there was an opportunity to bring the fun and the flair and the festiveness of Brazil into the Brazilian steakhouse concept,” explains Oldham, founder and president of Tucanos. “The concept itself is very fun and festive and upbeat.”

The Tucanos concept is similar to the traditional Brazilian steakhouse, using Churrasco, the Brazilian tradition of grilling. Like other Brazilian steakhouses, Tucanos waiters bring around 12 to 15 cuts of meat, such as beef, turkey and chicken, as well as some grilled vegetables and pineapple. All meals are also accompanied by Tucanos’ Salad Festival, a salad bar that holds 60 to 70 made-from-scratch items, both traditional Brazilian items and gourmet salads.

All meals are also accompanied by Tucanos’ Salad Festival, a salad bar that holds 60 to 70 made-from-scratch items, both traditional Brazilian items and gourmet salads.

What separates Tucanos from the pack is its focus on value and a fun, friendly customer experience.

“Unlike many of the other Brazilian steakhouses, if you go into Tucanos, you’re immediately put at ease,” says Lloyd Goldstein of HMS Retail, the national tenant representative for Tucanos.         “It’s welcoming, friendly, very focused on family and kids. The price points are easily digestible, and I think that is one of the hallmarks that will allow Tucanos to grow and prosper in markets, regardless of the economy.”

And at a time when many customers are more frugal with their disposable income, Tucanos offers a value no other Brazilian steakhouse concept can match. For the selection of grilled meats and the Salad Festival, a customer can expect to pay $19.95 for dinner and $12.95 for lunch. In true family-friendly fashion, children under the age of 6 eat free.

“I think that value for us is key,” Oldham says. “We are up sales-wise this year, and continue to perform up, and we attribute that to the value that our guests receive when they come.”

Heeb, founder and chief financial officer of Tucanos, agrees. “You still have consumers who are willing to spend disposable earnings on restaurant dining if the value is there,” he adds.

The idea for Tucanos blossomed from Oldham’s own experiences in Brazil. An accountant by trade, Oldham served a stint in the South American country while working for a public accounting firm and then for PepsiCo Restaurants International. The Brazilian culture was enthralling, and Oldham says that even after returning to the United States, he found himself missing the concept. Once back in the U.S., Oldham was approached by the Shops at Riverwoods in Provo, Utah, about opening a restaurant concept within the center. Oldham partnered up with Heeb, whose own background as a public accountant included stints as a regional controller for Burger King and chief financial officer of the Eastpak division of the Coleman Company. Oldham and Heeb both wanted to bring the Brazilian concept to the U.S., but with a few twists. The two partnered up and opened their first Tucanos Brazilian Grill in January 2000.

The Tucanos concept focused on three areas — the food, the price and the service. Oldham and Heeb’s first priority was the food. The two wanted to ensure that the food and flavor profiles really displayed the best that Brazil had to offer, in a way that North Americans could appreciate. Each of Tucanos’ meats is seasoned differently with a variety of marinades and spices, meant to enhance the flavors of the food. The team also spent a lot of time pulling the best recipes together to create both traditional Brazilian items and gourmet salads.

“Our focus has really allowed us to create and highlight some of the best that Brazil has to offer in terms of the flavors and the foods that we serve,” Oldham says.

Tucanos  has four operating locations with another slated to open in 2010.

The second area, and one that really departed from a lot of the Brazilian steakhouses in the industry, was the price point. The team wanted to stay within the casual dining category, so they focused on creating a concept that would really appeal to the average consumer and families.

“We really wanted to be much more fun and upbeat, kind of a Rio de Janeiro theme, as compared to many of the steakhouses with the dark wood, more formal atmosphere,” Oldham says.

To achieve their goal, the team worked on a concept with bright colors and a focus on wave shapes reminiscent of the beaches of Rio, along with a reasonable price point, attractive to all customers.

The third and most important area of focus was the service. “The service you get in a traditional Brazilian steakhouse tends to be less interactive,” Heeb explains. “We wanted a lot of interaction between our servers and our guests, so that festive environment is really felt.”

Heeb and Oldham worked to develop core principals in their company that could be passed down to all areas of the company. They even focused on hiring people with the right personality that represented the Tucanos ideal.

“We really want to provide a very personal service,” Oldham says. “We worked very hard in our training materials and our training program to create a basis that we think helps us deliver exceptional service.”

One unique step the company has taken is the implantation of electronic guest surveys that every table completes after the meal. The survey asks a series of questions, requesting that guests rate different areas of their experience. If a negative rating or problem arises, a manager is paged immediately to follow up and address the problem with the guests while they are still in the restaurant.

“We think it’s been a great tool for us,” says Heeb. “We keep a running log at the front, so we can go back and review and address any consistent issues that need to be changed. We don’t get a lot of pages, but the ones that we do, we’re quick to follow up on.”

Another benefit to the survey is that it allows Tucanos to evaluate where its customers are coming from, based on zip code. According to Oldham, the numbers have surprisingly shown that approximately 25 to 30 percent of the restaurant’s guests are coming from more than 20 to 25 miles away.

“Our landlords have been very happy with the draw and the pull that we have. Based on our numbers, we’ve shown that we have the ability to draw from long distances,” Oldham remarks.

Now, with its 10-year anniversary just around the corner in January, Tucanos is looking to expand its brand. In addition to the Provo, Utah, location, the chain has locations in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Salt Lake City; and Boise, Idaho, with another location slated to open in 2010.

“We are looking at opportunities for growth as a real plus right now,” Heeb says. “With our positive same-store sales and the number of real estate deals that offer opportunities for growth, the time is now to really jump on those opportunities.”

Currently, Tucanos is looking to open two or three units a year, with the number of locations accelerating in the next 2 to 3 years. It’s four operating locations offer varied footprints, showcasing the adaptability of the brand. And according to Heeb, situating themselves near entertainment and retail components has proved a beneficial decision, though he doesn’t look to limit the opportunities.

“If you look at what we’re doing right now, all of our locations are near theaters and retail centers, but it doesn’t limit us to those only. It sort of developed that way and has been a successful pattern for us,” Heeb says.

Even in tough economic times, Tucanos is excelling. The newest location, which opened in Boise on February 10, had the highest volume opening, and continues to perform well. With such continued success, Oldham and Heeb are positive for the future.

“We are looking at moving the concept beyond the Rocky Mountain West, so that our story can be told in not just one region, but beyond that. We are really interested in expanding, and we think this brand has significant growth potential,” Heeb says.

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