TOMS RIVER – Fat Patty’s, a new restaurant opening this fall on Route 37, is a combination of an upscale sit-down burger restaurant and sports bar.
“There are no more sit-down restaurants that serve burgers. Everything is just fast food,” said Ayush Patel, CEO of SAS Restaurant Group. “They’re not really casual dining where you’re waiting for your burger.”
Fat Patty’s is a restaurant and sports bar that specializes in burgers and other dishes from pizza to chicken wings. The restaurant also offers 20 types of draft beer. Patel said he hopes to open by mid-November.
Patel, a franchisee who also owns Dick’s Wings & Grill restaurants in Florida and Georgia, is pulling Fat Patty’s from its home base in Kentucky and West Virginia.
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He tried a burger at Fat Patty’s and it sold. “I’ve never had a burger like that,” he said. “It’s a great burger, a fresh burger, an 8-ounce patty, and a gourmet burger as well.”
They are “having fun,” he added.
In addition to the Toms River location, Patel is opening a Fat Patty’s in Pennsylvania and is considering other locations in North Jersey and South Jersey.
The highlight of its menu is the “Bite This” burger, which features two 8-ounce patties with cheese and condiments. “It’s a huge hamburger,” Patel said.
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Other specialty burgers on Kentucky’s menu have names like the Bayou Patty with Cajun spices, sautéed onions, green peppers, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato and honey mustard. Sweet popper patty, cream cheese, sautéed jalapeños, raspberry sauce, lettuce, tomato, and onion. Big dill patty, fried pickles, fried onions, pepper jack cheese and chipotle ranch sandwiched between pretzel buns.
Patel said he plans to change some menu items and replace them with options that suit the New Jersey market, such as adding turkey burgers and pizza to the menu.
Patel is currently in the middle of a complete renovation of the former Mellow Mushroom restaurant. “This is a very attractive building and has a very strong skeleton for us to build upon.”
The restaurant features an open kitchen, full bar, 35 TVs and an area to play darts. The large area of the restaurant is also available for private parties. “We can do a lot of good things here.”
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The new restaurant will also create 100 jobs, he added.
Patel pointed out that there are few restaurants on the west end of Route 37 in Toms River. “This side of town needs something like this, and I think we’re a good fit,” Patel said. “I’m confident we’ll do well.”
David P. Willis, an award-winning business writer, has covered business, retail, real estate and consumer news for 27 years for the Asbury Park Press. He writes the What’s Going There column for APP.com and can be reached at dwillis@gannettnj.com. Sign up for his weekly newsletter and join his What’s Going There page on Facebook for updates.
