The restaurant aims to welcome people of all ages with reasonable prices and an upbeat, fun atmosphere. Take a sneak peek inside.
Patch Staff
|Updated Mon, Nov 25, 2024 at 7:18 pm ET
(Ayush Patel)
TOMS RIVER, NJ — It might be easy to assume that with a name like Fat Patty's, the new restaurant coming to Toms River is just another burger joint.
That assumption couldn't be further from the truth, according to the owner and his leadership team at the restaurant, which is anticipated to open on Route 37 in the next few weeks.
A recent visit to the nearly finished restaurant revealed an atmosphere that beckons you in, even as the finishing touches are being put in and paperwork finalized.
Ayush Patel, the owner, is originally from Piscataway. After spending time in the south, where he owns several restaurants, he decided he wanted to return to New Jersey and bring Fat Patty's to the area because he wanted to offer a different vibe from all the chain restaurants that line Route 37.
"We are not just a regular burger chain," he said. "We are a full-service restaurant."
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They took over the space that was formerly the Mellow Mushroom and briefly Lot 11 Eleven in late August and have transformed the inside.
There are lots of tables with chairs and bench seating for people wanting dinner, and alcoves along one end of the restaurant with tables and curved benches for more quiet conversation. The main seating area flows into the bar area, with a freeform-shaped bar and high-top seating for people who want to talk and hang out but don't want a table. The bar included a portion that is lower to accommodate people using wheelchairs along with others who have mobility issues that make climbing onto a high-top seat difficult.
Beyond the bar is an area with a fireplace and leather couches for people to sit and talk in a more relaxed setting, and a handcrafted wooden table made from a large slab of a tree, with glitter-laden resin filling gaps to make the table a full rectangle. It stands on heavy, custom ironwork legs that have different feet; one is a bowling ball and another is the hoof of a horse, for example.
Off the other end of the custom table is an area to play darts, but at a different level through DartSee, an electronic dart game that offers more than just simple scoring.
The kitchen area is open, allowing customers to watch the workers preparing their food, something that has become a growing trend.
"Each decision we made was to create an atmosphere that is fun and upbeat," Patel said.
The goal is to draw customers from a wide demographic, from the older residents who just want to have a meal to younger ones who want to spend a Sunday afternoon cheering on their favorite NFL teams, to families grabbing a meal after their children's sports competition.
There are nearly 40 televisions on the walls and above the bar, including one that is 110 inches, for sports fans to enjoy the games.
"We are trying to be that place people go three to four times a month, a place where they can meet friends and make new ones," said Brian Smith, the restaurant's general manager.
One of the ways they are doing that is by providing wider aisles that make it easier for people with wheelchairs and parents pushing strollers. It makes for an easygoing feeling where people won't have to squeeze their way through a crush of people to get to a table or the bar.
Another way is through a menu with reasonable prices and a variety of offerings. While the burgers — Fat Patty's has 16 varieties of burgers — are a specialty, Patel said they received permission from the company for some exceptions to the usual Fat Patty's menu, including mahi bites and other seafood offerings, and hand-stretched pizza. The Toms River location's full menu is anticipated to be posted within the next 10 days or so, Patel said.
They will have 15 beers on tap including some from local breweries that they are partnering with, and will have four cocktails on tap as well, including margaritas and palomas.
"We are trying to bring something to the area that's never really been here before," said Adam Billick, the assistant manager. He and Smith are both longtime Ocean County residents who have experience in the restaurant industry in the area.
The restaurant also will offer the ability for groups to hold private events of varying sizes, with prices to be determined based on the kind of space they want to rent.
"They can rent just the seating area with the couches or the entire area from the couches to the darts," Patel said, adding the restaurant will cordon off the area as needed for events.
As Patel and Smith and Billick put the finishing touches on the restaurant, they are beginning to look for staff. Smith said they are gathering applications every day at the restaurant, at 1111 Route 37.
"We want this to be a place where people can come hang out and chill," Billick said.
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