Fast Casual Nation

How TAP is redefining fast casual: Scaling Brazilian flavor, AI strategy, wellness culture

In this episode of the Fast Casual Nation Front Runners series, host Paul Barron sits down with Pedro and Cleo Uchôa, the visionaries behind TAP.

October 27, 2026

How does a 100% gluten-free Brazilian café scale beyond its core demographic into a high-growth fast-casual powerhouse?

In this episode of the Fast Casual Nation Front Runners series, host Paul Barron sits down with Pedro and Cleo Uchôa, the visionaries behind TAP. The brothers, who won The Perfect Pitch at the Fast Casual Executive Summit last year, share their blueprint for expanding TAP across New York City and South Florida — and how they're using backend AI to supercharge growth.

The episode covers:

Breaking the regional niche: Why 87% of TAP's guests are non-Brazilian, and how targeting modern dietary needs (100% gluten-free, clean ingredients) drives global appeal.
Hospitality vs. AI tech stack: How TAP uses AI analytics on the back end to protect margins and unit-level economics, while keeping front-of-house hospitality warm and human.
Controlled regional scaling: Transitioning from individual units in NYC and Miami to hub-and-spoke commissary models and regional density.
Community retention: Moving away from short-lived viral social trends to focus on localized partnerships (run clubs, yoga studios) that lock in a loyal, recurring customer base.