![\"Joey](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Joey-Fatone-interview-about-Universal-theme-parks-and-Fat-Ones-1200x675.jpg\")
<\/p>\nOrlando, Fla. \u2014 Before Joey Fatone became a member of *NSYNC, he performed as Wolfie in \u201cBeetlejuice\u2019s Rock and Roll Graveyard Revue\u201d at Universal Studios Florida. Decades later, he is returning to Universal Orlando in a new role: restaurateur.<\/p>\n
Fat One\u2019s Hot Dogs & Italian Ice officially opens Sept. 19 at Universal CityWalk, bringing a menu shaped by 10 years of business lessons, Universal\u2019s culinary team and Fatone\u2019s own willingness to try combinations beyond his usual ketchup-topped hot dog.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In an interview with Attractions Magazine, Fatone and business partner Joe Mulvihill discussed the full-circle homecoming, what theme parks have taught them about serving an international audience and why building a lasting restaurant sometimes requires saying no to new ideas.<\/p>\n
Joey Fatone comes full circle at Universal Orlando<\/p>\n
Fat One\u2019s arrival at Universal CityWalk<\/a> is a fitting moment in Joey Fatone\u2019s career. Before joining *NSYNC, he performed as Wolfie in \u201cBeetlejuice\u2019s Rock and Roll Graveyard Revue\u201d at Universal Studios Florida. Now, he is returning with a permanent restaurant intended to become part of the destination.<\/p>\n During an interview with Attractions Magazine, Fatone and business partner Joe Mulvihill spoke with a mixture of excitement and disbelief about seeing the finished restaurant. <\/p>\n Fat One\u2019s was designed to last at CityWalk<\/p>\n Fatone did not want to enter CityWalk, overhaul the former Hot Dog Hall of Fame<\/a> space and rely solely on his celebrity. He wanted Fat One\u2019s to have its own identity and enough staying power to become a destination within Universal Orlando.<\/p>\n The location also brings him back to a company he remembers fondly. Fatone said he still knows people at Universal from his years working there, including Mike Aiello, now senior director of entertainment and creative development at Universal Destinations & Experiences. He described Universal as a company that takes care of its people.<\/p>\n For Mulvihill, the completed restaurant affirmed that they had found the right home for the concept. He described the experience of working with Universal as welcoming and said the partnership felt right once the plans became a physical space.<\/p>\n Universal helped expand the Fat One\u2019s menu<\/p>\n The CityWalk menu includes nine gourmet hot dogs, but not every flavor combination originated with Fatone and Mulvihill. Universal\u2019s culinary team contributed ideas and helped introduce flavors suited to the wide range of visitors passing through CityWalk.<\/p>\n Fatone pointed to the Dirty K-Pop Dog, a Korean-inspired hot dog which features kimchi slaw, spicy gochujang mayonnaise, scallions, crispy onions and black sesame.<\/p>\n \u201cUniversal\u2019s culinary team brought in different cultures and flavor profiles. The K-Pop Dog is something I never would have thought of.\u201d Although Fatone said he is ordinarily content with ketchup on a hot dog, he was surprised by how much he enjoyed The Angelo, a Mediterranean-inspired selection. He also highlighted The Fat One, a footlong hot dog loaded with roasted pork, pepperoni, chili beans, cheddar cheese sauce and several additional toppings. <\/p>\n Fatone called it \u201cnot for the faint of heart,\u201d but said its flavors complement one another.<\/p>\n Another selection, The Fonsi, is named for Orlando-raised singer Luis Fonsi<\/a>. Fatone and Mulvihill contacted Fonsi about the tribute while he was in Spain working on \u201cThe Voice.\u201d<\/p>\n Ten years taught them to stay focused<\/p>\n Fat One\u2019s began in Orlando a decade before its CityWalk debut, and Mulvihill said the intervening years taught the team not to chase every suggestion or expansion idea.<\/p>\n They plan to maintain a focused menu, prioritize quality and ensure that each flavor profile works. A smaller selection also keeps customers from becoming overwhelmed while allowing the restaurant to execute its core products consistently.<\/p>\n \u201cStay the path. Don\u2019t jump at all the ideas and noise. Just stay focused.\u201d That discipline does not rule out occasional changes. Fatone and Mulvihill said individual offerings or Italian ice flavors could rotate, including potential seasonal selections. The central concept, however, will remain focused on hot dogs, Italian ice and a manageable number of choices.<\/p>\n Theme park experience shaped the restaurant<\/p>\n Fatone and Mulvihill both described themselves as theme park junkies. Their time visiting parks has taught them to watch how service systems work and how destinations accommodate visitors from around the world.<\/p>\n Fatone\u2019s children have also grown into theme park foodies. He described family visits to Epic Universe<\/a> and other parks as opportunities to eat, drink and enjoy the destination together, reflecting how food has become part of the theme park experience.<\/p>\n The Universal-themed hot dog Joey Fatone would create if given the chance<\/p>\n When Attractions Magazine asked Fatone to create a hot dog inspired by a Universal Orlando ride, he expanded the premise beyond a single attraction. He proposed four theoretical hot dogs inspired by the Bride of Frankenstein, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, Frankenstein\u2019s monster and the Wolf Man. Mulvihill paused, he mind seemingly processing the creative idea he just heard, and stated he could not top the answer.<\/p>\n Related: Step inside Universal Monsters Laguna Lounge<\/a><\/p>\n Fatone\u2019s response demonstrated how naturally his entertainment background intersects with the restaurant business. Those Universal Monsters hot dogs exist only in Fatone\u2019s imagination. But if Mulvihill ever decides to stray from the path, Fatone already has four frighteningly flavorful ideas waiting in the wings.<\/p>\n Fat One\u2019s officially opens at Universal CityWalk on Sept. 19, adding a new chapter to Fatone\u2019s long relationship with Orlando. For a performer, restaurateur and self-described theme park junkie, there may be no more fitting place to bring the pieces of his story together.<\/p>\n More Attractions Magazine stories<\/p>\n Follow us:<\/p>\n Ready for adventure? Our trusted partner Universal Fan Travel will handle the planning so you can focus on the fun. They offer free vacation-planning services and have nearly 20 years of experience creating epic vacations. Visit Universal Fan Travel<\/a> for a fee-free, no-obligation quote today.<\/p>\n![\"Fat](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Fat-Ones-menu-and-food-pictures-Photo-by-@MagicCityMayhem.jpg\")
Fat One\u2019s menu with food pictures.
Photo by @MagicCityMayhem<\/p>\n
\u2014 Joey Fatone<\/p>\n
\u2014 Joe Mulvihill<\/p>\n![\"posing](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789727798_375_Universal-Monsters-Laguna-Lounge-Photo-by-Dani-Meyering-18.jpeg\")
Universal Monsters Laguna Lounge.
Photo by Dani Meyering<\/p>\n
![\"MouseFanTravel\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789727799_371_D_B.png\"\/ "\\"\\"")
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