Lessons of the Meat Coaster

At the Brazilian steakhouse, a simple tool can teach us about how humans and brands should communicate.

A true carnivore should consider the Brazilian steakhouse a natural habitat. The churrascaria provides a dance of quality and quantity that’s just as seductive as the samba — an unending supply of fire-grilled meats, lovingly carved at tableside by roving passadores.

Sure, we flesh-eaters admire our servers’ wide-legged gaúcho pants and jaunty red neckerchiefs. Some even praise the salad bar, however begrudgingly. But above all, we flock to our local Fogos de Chão for one reason above all: meats without end.

While our wandering carver may sport fetching trousers, his foodstuffs are bottomless. Our gullets surrender to the abundance in kind. Why bother with farm-to-table when you can live spit-to-mouth?

Yet the true genius of rodízio-style dining lives beyond the skewer, knife or tongs. It takes a more modest form: a small coaster with red on one side and green on the other. However humble, this unassuming device contains critical lessons for how humans should communicate — and how brands should behave.

That’s right. The meat coaster has much to teach us. As long as we’re ready to listen.