Image above: Meat for a typical rookie dinner? Wagyu
Porterhouse can sell for $200 or more a pound.
There’s an unusual practice in the NFL for “rookie dinners,” where (per ESPN) “a rookie player is expected to
pay for a very expensive, luxurious meal for their entire position group, typically costing thousands of dollars.”
Now Fogo de Chão is pitching a new, fixed price option to give
rookies a bit of a break.
The Brazilian steakhouse has designated itself as the “unofficial home for rookie dinners.” New NFL recruits are invited to celebrate their first
year by holding the typically very expensive dinner at its restaurant locations across the country.
The chain specializes in the signature “Full Churrasco Experience,” which
includes a “continuous selection of premium fire-roasted cuts carved tableside by gaucho chefs.” Rookies can also opt for the brand’s new Brazilian Surf & Turf. The price for the
meals with sides is approximately $75+ per person, considerably less than the typical rookie meal, which can cost as much as $20,000 all the way up to $50,000, per People Magazine.
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“Our immersive dining experience and nutrient-dense, high-protein menu not only bring teams together but also help fuel the performance and recovery of athletes as they prepare for the
season ahead,” says Barry McGowan, CEO at Fogo de Chão, in a press release.
Brand ambassador Arik Armstead, Jacksonville professional football defensive end, will promote the
dinners, as according to the company he has previously “referenced Fogo as the ideal place to host a rookie dinner due to the value and the quality of the meal.”
There will also be
a series of promotional dinners at specific locations hosted by athletes, beginning at August’s end with offensive guard Tyler Booker in Dallas. Later dinners will take place with Tyler Shough
in New Orleans and Will Howard in Pittsburgh, with more to come.