The chains were established in Columbus, Ohio as Bravo Development, Inc. (BDI) in 1992 by Rick and Chris Doody in collaboration with Executive Chef Phil Yandolino.

[3] Brio specializes in Northern Italian cuisine including bruschetta, pizza, pasta, steaks, seafood, soup and salad.

Eventually, the restaurant group launched a second similar, but more upscale brand, Brio Tuscan Grille in Columbus as well.

At that moment, Bravo and Brio managed 110 stores in 32 states, for an estimated sales volume of around 400 million dollars.

[8] On April 10, 2020, FoodFirst Global Holdings Inc. filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the Middle District of Florida.