Restaurant born in the owner’s house, today it has units in the exclusive districts of SP and has expanded with a space dedicated to smoked dishes
Vila Olimpia, Vila Madalena and Pacaembu. Those who want to try one of the famous snacks from Pantcho’s House, a hamburger joint born in the heart of Grajaú, in the extreme south of São Paulo, no longer need to go to the restaurant district.
Completing seven years in 2023, Pantcho’s now also sells burgers in upscale neighborhoods around the city. The expansion is the result of the success of the couple Ricardo Vieira, 37, and Regiane Moura, 35, with a project that began inside their own home.
Ricardo, known by his nickname Pantcho, was the class cook at get-togethers with friends. One day he decided to prepare hamburgers for dinner with his colleagues.
“It was quite successful, but I still didn’t like the result very much because I had eaten in other places and thought it could be better,” he recalls.
It was then that the then USP (University of Sao Paulo) geography student began studying the art of making hamburgers. In his search for the perfect blend – a mixture of meat and fat that gives rise to the food – he refined his technique until he understood, together with his wife, that the hobby could become a source of income.
“Regiane has a corporate vision. He said: ‘it is a market that will grow, there are no good hamburgers here in the region’”, says the chef. Since the wife was out of work at the time, they decided to invest in sandwich delivery in 2016 to supplement their income at home.
The couple’s goal was to sell 20 to 30 snacks a weekend. But already on the third Saturday there were more than a hundred requests. Ricardo and his wife, after all, weren’t the only fans of a good burger in Grajaú.
At first, the two asked for a loan of R $ 10,000 to equip the house to prepare sandwiches and promote delivery. Four months later, they rented a physical space with 35 seats to receive clients.
Success was consolidated once and for all when the restaurant became part of Prato Firmeza, a guide to gastronomic proposals in the districts of São Paulo, and customers from various districts of the city began to frequent Pantcho’s.
“[O público] it grew to 90 people in line on a Saturday night,” explains Ricardo.
With the queues growing every day, in a year Pantcho’s had to change its address again, this time to a 120-seat room, where the restaurant’s headquarters in Grajaú are to this day.
The recipe menu features classics such as the x-bacon, which is called Gato Rei, but also unique dishes, such as the Jack Ribs, which stands out for including a smoked rib eye and a whiskey-based barbecue sauce.
At Grajaú, dishes are enjoyed in a relaxed atmosphere, with a decor that mixes an industrial look and references to hood artists.
With fame in the far south of the city, an opportunity to expand the business arose as of 2020. The first invitation was to occupy a space in Beco da Vila Olímpia, also in the south area. At the end of 2022, Pantcho arrived in Vila Madalena and Estádio do Pacaembu, both in the west zone.
The work with the smoking of the Jack Ribs hamburger has also led to an expansion of the Grajau kitchen, the Brazilian Defumação, which sells hot dishes made with the technique already used in the hamburger and at an address located on the same street of the burger shop.
Today Pantcho’s House appears in the lists of specialized websites, occupying the 20th position in the Guia do Hamburguer ranking, and the 30th position in the Hambúrguer Perfeito website. Both portals list the best restaurants of this kind in São Paulo.
Add in delivery and face-to-face assistance, Pantcho has more than 1000 customers a week. Ricardo is keen to say that the current success is the result not only of the work of the founding couple, but also of the great employees who make up the team – 32 in total.
For 2023 it intends to further improve the menu of the units with the aim of offering the best possible quality to customers. “I want to go back to studying more food to go back to the kitchen and bring new things. Work a little more on quality throughout,” she explains.
For those familiar with the history of the restaurant, there is no doubt that the next few chapters will get better and better.
SERVICE
Pantcho’s House – Grajaú Unit
Address: Av. Manuel Alves Soares, 404 – Parque Colonial, São Paulo – SP
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 18:00 to 23:00; Saturday and Sunday, 12:00 to 23:00
Phone: (11) 2589-0467
Vila Olímpia Unit (Vila Olímpia Alley)
Address: R. Ramos Batista, 409 – Vila Olímpia, São Paulo – SP
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 12:00 to 22:45; Sunday, 12:00 to 20:45
Telephone: (11) 95880-3033
Vila Madalena unit
Address: R. Girassol, 649 – Vila Madalena, São Paulo – SP
Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 12:00 to 22:00
Telephone: (11) 91302-9144
Pacaembu stadium unit
Address: Praça Charles Miller – Pacaembu, São Paulo – SP
Opening hours: Depends on the venue’s event schedule. Confirmation on Pantcho’s House Instagram page (@pantchoshouse)
Payment methods: Bancomat, credit card, cash, meal vouchers (Sodexo, Alelo, Ticket, Ben, VR)
Source: Terra

Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.