Harrison Elevates Fogo de Chão with Next Level Rooftop Lounge Opening
FSR Magazine: Dallas-based global design consultancy Harrison marks its latest collaboration with Fogo de Chão with the debut of the Next Level Rooftop Lounge — the highly anticipated rooftop destination on top of the iconic high-rise location at 400 University Street in Rainier Square. After Fogo’s street-level opening in late summer 2024, this elevated venue completes the full guest journey, bringing Fogo’s hospitality skyward through a signature design and experience that is approachable, warm, and timeless.
The 4,500-square-foot glass penthouse lounge continues the collaboration between Harrison and Fogo de Chão, a partnership spanning seven years and more than 50 U.S. and international locations. Every detail speaks to Fogo’s authentic Brazilian heritage. The design invites guests into a year-round destination defined by sweeping skyline views, approachable lounge seating arranged around firepits, lush planters, and a dramatic black-stone bar.
“Seattle’s Next Level Rooftop Lounge reimagines Fogo’s ‘Culinary Art of Churrasco’ as a rooftop experience of theater and craft,” said Keith Anderson, Global CEO of Harrison. “Framed by the Seattle skyline, it becomes a stage for connection, energy, and artistry, where the warmth of Ipe wood, the strength of iron, and the reflections in the black-stone bar all play their part in expressing Fogo’s spirit of hospitality.”
Perched high above downtown Seattle, the Next Level Rooftop Lounge brings Fogo de Chão’s spirit of connection and celebration to the skyline — an elevated social escape where craft and hospitality meet. Centered on a glowing hero bar with a whiskey and bourbon library, the design frames sweeping views of the city. Inside, low-profile seating and intimate vignettes invite everything from tasting flights to late-night gatherings, while layered lighting and bottle halos shift the mood from day to night. Outdoors, illuminated guardrails, fire pits, and softly lit trees extend the season, offering guests a fresh, unforgettable perspective on the city below.
“Harrison has a skillful ability to translate our brand’s energy and hospitality into physical spaces that feel both elevated and welcoming,” said Barry McGowan, Chief Executive Officer of Fogo de Chão. “With the Seattle location and the new Next Level Lounge, they’ve helped us create an environment that celebrates connection. It’s a space that truly reflects who we are and how we continue to evolve.”
The Next Level Rooftop Lounge builds upon Fogo’s street-level restaurant, also conceived by Harrison, anchored by an open churrasco grill and lively Bar Fogo. Together, the restaurant below and the rooftop lounge above tell a cohesive story of tradition meeting modern Brazilian warmth. The rooftop’s premium bar and small-plates program showcase South American wines, craft cocktails, and indulgent shareable dishes, inviting guests to linger before or after dinner. In bringing this elevated vision to life, Fogo and Harrison tackled the technical and logistical challenges of constructing atop a downtown high-rise, transforming complexity into a seamless experience. The result is a destination that truly raises the bar for urban dining.
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