A burger joint with a comical name is coming soon to the Garden State.
Fat Patty’s, a West Virginia-based sports bar chain that specializes in burgers, is coming to Toms River this fall. Franchise owner Ayush Patel told NJ Advance Media he expects the restaurant to open in mid-November, but an exact date has yet to be announced.
Patel describes the eatery as an “upscale full-service sports bar.” It will open in the space that formerly hosted Lot 11 Eleven Bar + Restaurant and Mellow Mushroom Pizzeria in the Harvard Square Shopping Center. Fat Patty’s will join burger joints like Burger 25, Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers and Shut Up and Eat along the Route 37 corridor in Toms River.
Patel, a New Jersey native, also owns Dick’s Wings & Grill restaurants in Florida and Georgia. Dick’s Wings & Grill and Fat Patty’s are both owned by parent company ARC Group, which also owns chains Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery and WingHouse Bar and Grill.
“When I got to try it, I just fell in love with the product,” Patel said. “I felt like I could definitely bring this up to Jersey.”
Fat Patty's, a West Virgina-based sports bar and burger joint, is opening its first New Jersey location in November. (Photo Courtesy, Fat Patty's)(Photo Courtesy, Fat Patty's)
Fat Patty’s currently operates five locations throughout West Virginia and Kentucky. The growing chain’s menu features a variety of classic and craft burgers like the “Sweet Popper Patty” with cream cheese, sautéed jalapeños and raspberry sauce, the “Jammin’ Patty” slathered with bacon jam and the “Fiesta Patty” topped with Mexican street corn queso and tortilla strips.
Other food offerings include classic bar food fare like jalapeño poppers, fried pickles, mozzarella sticks, sandwiches, salads and wings. Patel noted the inaugural New Jersey spot’s menu will reflect some slight changes including seafood, turkey burgers and pizza to better fit the region.
“We have pizza, wings, all the American restaurant and bar food,” Patel said. “But our focus is craft burgers.”
The Fat Patty’s location in Toms River will feature a full bar with 20 beers on tap, an open kitchen, 35 televisions including one 110-inch screen, a space to play darts, a large fireplace and an indoor lounge for private parties.
The chain made its debut in 2007 in Huntington, W. Va. near the Marshall University’s campus, according to the restaurant’s website. Patel said there are currently plans to open in Pennsylvania and farther north in the Garden State, citing Brick Township as the next potential landing spot. The franchisee also said he is working with the brand to grow the chain in hopes of expanding it nationwide.
Fat Patty's, a West Virgina-based sports bar and burger joint, is opening its first New Jersey location in November. (Photo Courtesy, Fat Patty's)Photo Courtesy, Fat Patty's
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Christopher Burch can be reached at cburch@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @SwishBurch. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips/.