The idea of opening a restaurant in the format of an English “pub” was Fernando Badauí, singer of the iconic alternative rock band CPM 22. or chef Henrique Fogaça, owner of Sal Gastronomiafiled appeals, when he was not yet part of the judging panel for the MasterChef program. And that’s how, Back in 2013, Cão Véio was borna “gastropub” bringing together, in the same aesthetic, rock and… dogs.
Fogaça signs the menu of dishes, snacks and snacks, washed down with lots of craft beer. “They wanted to name the bar ‘old dog’. I said, ‘man, we don’t even speak English here’. It’s going to be Cão Véio”, recalls the chef, in conversation with the InfoMoney. Promoter Marcos Kichimoto, known as Kichi, was also a partner in the venture until his death, as a result of a heart attack, in 2021.
The franchise expansion plan began to be put into practice three years after the opening of the first store. Fogaça recognizes that Cão Véio didn’t quite understand how this expansion model worked and that the first units were opened “out of race and courage”.
“There was no contract with specific clauses to maintain a standard at all points”, he explained. This created an opening, for example, for some franchisees to use cheaper and lower quality ingredients, putting the brand’s reputation at risk. It was for this reason that Cão did not open a new unit for years.
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He let go of the bone for a short time
The plan was resumed after Badauí and Fogaça hired the services of a company specialized in business formatting and expansion via franchises. Marcel Akira, who had previously been manager of Cão Véio, became a partner of the duo and is currently responsible for the relationship with franchisees.
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In addition to its own unit in Vila Madalena, west of São Paulo, Cão Véio now has 14 more franchises. Eight of these stores are already open – five in São Paulo, two in Paraná and one in Goiás. The other six are still being implemented. The owners predict that the chain should close the year with revenue close to R$24 million. Each unit earns, on average, R$250,000 per month. According to the partners, some make much more than that, reaching R$380,000 during the opening phase.
“When the store is new, everyone wants to see it. But after the ‘boom’ there is always a fall. The challenge is to find the balance point”, says Fogaça.
With the 15 stores in operation, the chain’s revenue would be between R$40 million and R$45 million, the partners calculate. The expectation is that the franchises that have not yet opened will be operating by the first half of 2026. Badauí explains that setting up a Cão Véio unit is a process that borders on artisanal.
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“That’s why sometimes it takes a little longer for delivery to the store,” he says. “You have to be sensitive when choosing the property, as it needs to be somewhere that matches the business, in the right neighborhood.”
And there’s still the training part. Franchisees undergo a two-week immersion at the headquarters, in São Paulo, to assimilate every detail of the restaurant’s atmosphere. From the kitchen to preparing drinks, including the ambient soundtrack, a characteristic element of Cão Véio, the creation of musicians.
In addition, video classes on the preparation of all dishes on the menu are available on an online platform, which was named “Universidade Cão Véio”.
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The dog ready to run
The idea is that the expansion plan will gain pace in the coming years. The gastropub chain believes that it is possible to reach 50 units by 2028, reaching a turnover of R$100 million.
The minimum investment to be a Cão Véio franchisee is R$600,000. The stores normally have a capacity for 60 seats, but the restaurant partners also work on designing a format expresssmaller in size (25 to 30 seats), not yet launched.
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“If we were to open another store of our own, it would be in this format, to test the model and serve as an example for other franchisees. A cheaper, smaller store, to serve a lot of deliveries”, says Badauí.
For now, the idea is to grow via franchisees. The partners recognize that opening their own store requires a lot of effort and leaves little time to balance the business with CPM 22 tours and new seasons of MasterChef.
Marking territory abroad
Cão Véio has no small ambition and also wants to walk outside. Fogaça reveals that, next January, he should take advantage of his family vacation in Orlando, in the United States, to negotiate the opening of a brand restaurant with a local partner.
International expansion would also be advised by Avant, the company that Fogaça and Badauí hired to expand Cão Véio through franchises. “We have full conditions for international expansion, as long as the franchisee has a financial structure and knowledge of the business”, explains Lucas Camargo, CEO of Avant Franquias.
It is also with the support of Camargo’s company that Fogaça will work on the expansion of another of his restaurants, Jamile, which already has a franchise contracted in Curitiba. The idea, according to the chef, is to set up a group to manage the three restaurants in which he is a partner: Cão Véio, Sal Gastronomia and Jamile.
“As Jamile grows, we will have to manage it uniquely, with the same type of system, as we are already doing with Cão Velho and Sal”, he explains.
