For regulars at Brio Italian Grille in Cherry Hill, the dining room lights are still on, the pastas are still hitting the tables, and the staff is still clocking in. Yet behind the scenes, public filings and glossy renderings suggest a Brazilian steakhouse may be waiting in the wings. Worried customers have been calling nonstop, employees are bracing for anything, and what should be a normal week of shifts has turned into a hunt for clarity. For now, though, Brio is very much open while plans and permits quietly creep through township channels.
Local development site 42Freeway reported in May that project plans submitted to Cherry Hill outline a remodeled Fogo de Chão layout with roughly 296 seats and fresh interior designs. Not long after, Patch obtained a zoning permit that refers to the unit as "the former Brio Italian Grille," a hint that at least some conversion paperwork has already crossed a municipal desk.
Township: A Permit Doesn't Mean A Lease
Local officials and the property owner are quick to remind everyone that paperwork is not the same thing as a signed deal. As reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer, Cherry Hill's municipal attorney stressed that "zoning permits do not guarantee that Fogo de Chão has a lease or that work will start," and M&M Realty's Joe Morris told the outlet the restaurant group has not formally committed.
Inside the dining room, that limbo has been rough. Brio general manager Grace Ortiz told The Philadelphia Inquirer the swirling closure talk has "felt like a nightmare" for employees who point out that their doors are still open, and that their liquor licenses were recently renewed.
Bankruptcy And A Nearby Closure
The uncertainty is playing out in the shadow of bigger corporate drama. Brio's parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last year, part of a broader shakeup among long-running casual-dining brands. Restaurant Dive reported on the August 2025 filing and the strategy to trim underperforming locations.
Locally, the chain shuttered its Marlton location in late May, a move covered by outlets such as WOBM. That nearby closure has only intensified nerves for staff at the Cherry Hill spot, who now watch every new rumor and permit with understandable skepticism.
What Comes Next For The Space
M&M Realty's Joe Morris told The Philadelphia Inquirer that Fogo de Chão has been eyeing a move into the Towne Place center for years but still has not signed a lease. He added that the landlord would be open to talking if Brio ultimately gives up the space. Morris declined to reveal when Brio's lease expires, saying only that the tenant has "a semi-limited period of time before important decisions have to be made." In practical terms, diners could see the Cherry Hill Brio carry on as-is for weeks or months while landlords, lawyers and corporate offices sort out what happens next.
Why This Matters Locally
Whether the Haddonfield Road space stays an Italian chain or flips to a national churrascaria will come down to lease terms, corporate restructuring and commercial-real-estate timing, the usual cocktail behind shopping-center turnover. For now, employees are still working their shifts and regulars are still booking tables, even as township filings hint at a possible future identity for the room.
We will keep an eye on new permits, filings and landlord decisions and update this story if and when a lease or construction schedule officially lands.
