Fogo de Chão selects PolyAI to bring hospitality to every call

Lifelike voice AI answers 100% of Fogo’s U.S. guest calls, freeing in-person teams to focus on incredible dining experiences

NEW YORK, Feb. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — PolyAI, a leader in enterprise conversational AI, today announced that Fogo de Chão has selected its voice AI to power Selma, a lifelike agent delivering warm, helpful conversations for every guest call across U.S. locations.

Affectionately named after Chief Culture Officer and brand matriarch Selma Oliviera, Fogo’s Selma voice agent now answers every call across all of its 88 U.S. locations, ensuring no guest is ever left waiting on hold.

“Selma allows us to be there for our guests before they even walk through the door,” said Barry McGown, CEO of Fogo de Chão. “She embodies the same warmth, care, and hospitality our teams bring to every table, and she’ll never miss the opportunity to welcome you to Fogo.”

Before deploying PolyAI’s voice agent, Fogo de Chão missed guest phone calls due to high volumes and after-hours inquiries. Today, Selma responds to every U.S. call, helping guests with FAQs, checking availability, booking reservations directly through OpenTable, and enrolling them in Fogo Rewards. When human assistance is needed, Selma seamlessly routes calls to the appropriate team member.

Selma currently has a 95% guest satisfaction and 88% booking completion rate, and 40% of guests who discuss Fogo Rewards with her opt in. Over 12 months, Selma is projected to deliver more than 250,000 reservations and contribute substantially to incremental revenue.

“Few brands live and breathe hospitality the way Fogo de Chão does,” said Michelle Schroeder, Chief Marketing Officer at PolyAI. “With Selma, they’ve shown that AI can deliver the level of care and connection their guests have come to expect — and drive remarkable business results at the same time.”

PolyAI counts 100+ enterprises as customers today, with over 2,000 live deployments across 45 languages and more than 25 countries.

To speak with Selma, call your local Fogo de Chão restaurant, and to learn more about PolyAI, visit www.poly.ai.

About PolyAI

PolyAI is transforming customer experience with AI agents that help enterprises show up as the best versions of themselves in every conversation. We are trusted by global leaders including Marriott, Caesars Entertainment, PG&E, and UniCredit to handle their most complex customer interactions. Our agents deliver human-level understanding with enterprise-grade reliability, and many of our largest deployments already do the work of 1,000+ full-time employees.