Universal Orlando’s CityWalk had a pretty exciting weekend, and if you are planning a visit soon, your dining options just got a whole lot more interesting. Fat One’s Hot Dogs & Italian Ice officially opened its doors on Saturday, September 19, and it brought a familiar face along for the ride. And that is just the start, because Five Guys Burgers and Fries is also on the way.
Joey Fatone Is in the Hot Dog Business
Yes, that Joey Fatone. The NSYNC member and Orlando native officially opened Fat One’s Hot Dogs & Italian Ice at Universal CityWalk this past Saturday, and the grand opening was everything you would expect from a celebrity who grew up right down the road from the resort.
Fatone and his business partner Joe Mulvihill, both Dr. Phillips High School alumni who actually worked at Universal in its early days, were on hand at 10:00 a.m. to greet guests. The first 100 fans to arrive received wristbands for a complimentary hot dog, with Fatone personally doing the serving. And before you assume this is just a celebrity putting their name on something and walking away, Fatone himself addressed that directly: “It’s not a celebrity slapping their name on something to make some money.” This concept has been years in the making, dating all the way back to a kiosk at Florida Mall in 2016, followed by a food truck in 2018. The CityWalk location is the first permanent brick and mortar restaurant and took roughly two years to develop.
Here is our video from the media preview on Friday, September 18th:
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