Rio Brazilian Steakhouse is set to move and expand in Durham after three years of success in the heart of the city.
The venue will move from the existing site on Walkergate to a bigger space on The Riverwalk – with an invite-only VIP grand opening on Friday November 28 ahead of opening bookings to the public from Saturday November 29.
Co-owners Rodrigo Grassi Duarte and Howard Eggleston are gearing up for the move, which will deliver a significantly larger dining space with 160 covers alongside enhanced kitchen facilities to accommodate growing demand from customers.
Rodrigo said: “Rio Brazilian Steakhouse has always stood for authenticity, quality and hospitality, and over the last three years we have become heavily rooted in the city. However, weekend after weekend we’ve had to turn bookings away due to capacity constraints at our existing site. We have been deeply grateful for the ongoing support of our guests and the wider Durham community, and this expansion allows us to serve more people while maintaining the high standards that define the Rio Brazilian Steakhouse experience.”
The new site will be home to Rio’s signature rodizio-style service – with a culinary journey into the Tijuca Urban Forest that surrounds Rio de Janeiro with planted walls and flowered ceilings.
Howard added: “The move to The Riverwalk marks an exciting new chapter for the restaurant, and represents an investment not only in our restaurant, but in the North East community. We are proud to further invest in the city with the move to a larger location enabling us to better serve our growing customer base.”
The investment in Durham comes hot on the heels of the £500,000 investment in the new Rio site in Sunderland. The group’s portfolio now includes eight Rio Brazilian Steakhouses and 11 Tomahawk Steakhouse sites – including the Boat Club in Durham.
