CHERRY HILL, NJ — Brio Italian Grille in Cherry Hill abruptly closes, ending nearly two decades at the popular Garden State Park shopping and dining destination. Fogo de Chão is planning on taking over the Cherry Hill building after a remodel.
I learned of the news early Monday morning, when I received a message from a staff member stating the restaurant had closed. At that time I was told management was emptying out the building. During my visit later in the evening a Penske moving van was on site as management continued clearing out the restaurant.
Restaurant Owners! If you are looking for additional staff, now is the time to hop on Social Media and reach out to the Brio team!
Additional confirmation quickly followed. Cherry Hill has been removed from Brio’s online location directory, and its Google Business Profile is now listed as Permanently Closed.
I had a busy day on Monday that kept me away from 42Freeway work, so Monday night after dinner I stopped at the Brio restaurant to find it closed, with a sign on the front window fully confirming the closure. The sign reads..
We want to thank the Cherry Hill community for your loyalty and support throughout the years.
We have made the difficult decision to permanently close our Brio location in Cherry Hill.
We are grateful for the opportunity to have served this community and are committed to supporting our team members during this transition.
Thank you for being a part of the brio family
Brio Italian Grille Cherry Hill is closed
With Marlton NJ also recently closed, it appears the only Brio remaining in the Northeast is in Farmington Connecticut.
The closure comes as Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse is widely expected to take over the property (more details below).
Hopefully we’ll see local restaurants who are looking for additional staff members, posting on Social Media inviting the Brio staff members to apply
Renderings for a new Fogo de Chão in Cherry Hill taking over the now closed Brio restaurant, were approved by Cherry Hill Township
A Top South Jersey Location
42Freeway worked with popular Facebook page “A View From Evesham” on the initial story on May 29 that Fogo de Chão was expected to replace Brio after discovering zoning applications that had already been submitted and approved through Cherry Hill Township.
At the time, I made it clear that Brio remained open and customers could continue dining there despite the redevelopment plans moving forward behind the scenes.
Brio Italian Grille occupied a highly visible location within the Garden State Park shopping and dining district on Haddonfield Road, near one of the center’s main entrances.
Renderings of the upcoming Fogo de Chão in Cherry Hill.
The shopping center is home to major retailers including Wegmans, Costco, and Trader Joe’s, making it one of South Jersey’s premier shopping destinations with a strong customer base.
Brio first opened in Cherry Hill in 2007 as Brio Tuscan Grille before later simplifying its name to Brio Italian Grille. The restaurant featured Tuscan-inspired décor and specialized in Northern Italian cuisine, handcrafted cocktails, and an extensive wine selection.
Evidence Continued to Build for Fogo de Chão
When researching the original story, I first received information indicating that Fogo de Chão was working on moving into the Brio property, and I worked with popular Facebook page “A View From Evesham” on details of the story.
That tip led me to locating permits related to the proposed conversion, followed by a visit to the Cherry Hill zoning office, where I acquired the actual application submitted by Fogo de Chão along with architectural renderings detailing the planned renovation of the building into a Brazilian steakhouse.
Full color interior and exterior architect renderings of the planned conversion of the Brio building into a Fogo de Chão steakhouse were also in my possession from May (some are shared here)
Renderings of the upcoming Fogo de Chão in Cherry Hill.
Those plans likely represented a significant investment for Fogo de Chão. Preparing architectural drawings and advancing a redevelopment proposal to that stage is both time-consuming and expensive, providing strong evidence that Fogo de Chão intended to move forward with the Cherry Hill location.
The discovery also came just one day after Brio’s parent company abruptly closed its Marlton restaurant.
Additionally, earlier this month, A View From Evesham and I uncovered additional confirmation when the remodeling project was publicly put out for bid, seeking qualified contractors to complete the conversion work to the Fogo restaurant
Since then, other media outlets such as the Inquirer expanded on the story, reporting that representatives from Fogo de Chão had presented plans to Cherry Hill Township as far back as November 2025, indicating that the project has been in development for quite some time.
The effort to rebuild Brio Cherry Hill into a Fogo de Chão was put out to construction bid recently
Abrupt Closure
Throughout the process, multiple staff members told me—as well as posters in local online food groups—that restaurant management consistently denied the Cherry Hill location would be closing (after reading the earlier May coverage)
Yesterday after the closing a Brio Cherry Hill employee informed me they were all told the Brio Cherry Hill would be open until at least 2028.
“We were lied to and said we were safe till 2028”
Brio Italian Grille Cherry Hill staff member, volunteered to 42Freeway
It seems the entire staff had stayed at Brio because they felt their jobs were secure for 18-24 months.
A rental truck at Brio Cherry Hill on Monday night. Management had been moving restaurant belongs out. During my evening visit a second truck arrived.
Then with no notice, the local General Manager and other leadership on Monday told staff at an on-site meeting that the restaurant was closed, staff were no longer employed and then given a small severance. I was told by an restaurant employee that it was appreciated that the General Manager had everyone come in and told the staff in a meeting. When Marlton closed they simply locked the doors, with employees showing up to a locked building.
A representative of Brio Cherry Hill management told 42Freeway on Monday “Put that you are not a good person” (meaning 42Freeway), upset apparently because my May coverage made it difficult for management to maintain the lies to the employees while they finalized the closing details and wanted to maintain staff.
With Brio now officially closed, all signs point to Fogo de Chão moving ahead with its long-planned Cherry Hill location. While an official opening timeline has not yet been announced, the closure of Brio removes the final obstacle for the Brazilian steakhouse’s anticipated redevelopment of the site.
Links and Location
Brio Italian Grille – Now Closed
901 Haddonfield Rd
Cherry Hill Township, NJ
Fogo de Chão Website
Prior 42Freeway Coverage
Dining and Cooking