{"id":404514,"date":"2026-09-19T11:16:34","date_gmt":"2026-09-19T11:16:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/404514\/"},"modified":"2026-09-19T11:16:34","modified_gmt":"2026-09-19T11:16:34","slug":"joey-fatone-joe-mulvihill-open-hot-dog-shop-at-universal-orlando","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/404514\/","title":{"rendered":"Joey Fatone, Joe Mulvihill open hot dog shop at Universal Orlando"},"content":{"rendered":"

Joey Fatone\u2019s<\/a> career path started with performing in a monster-based show at Universal Studios Florida<\/a> theme park, and now he is back, literally in business with Universal Orlando<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Of course, there have been significant steps in between, including worldwide fame as a member of \u2018N Sync<\/a>, roles on Broadway and in movies and his current gig as producer and co-host of \u201cCocktail Wars,\u201d<\/a> a TV competition series.<\/p>\n

On Saturday, Fatone and his manager Joe Mulvihill<\/a> officially will open Fat One\u2019s Hot Dogs & Italian Ice<\/a> at Universal CityWalk<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not really so much full circle. I think it\u2019s more of just a new chapter of being back here in a different way,\u201d Fatone said.<\/p>\n

\"JoeJoe Mulvihill (left) and Joey Fatone, founders of Fat One’s Hot Dogs, talk with members of the media in front of their Universal CityWalk location, which opens Saturday. (Dewayne Bevil\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

As a teenager, Fatone played the wolfman in \u201cBeetlejuice\u2019s Graveyard Revue,\u201d and Mulvihill portrayed Beetlejuice in the theme park show. They both had attended Dr. Phillips High School<\/a> in Orlando.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never thought in a million years that I\u2019d go, OK, I\u2019m here singing \u2018Thank You for Letting Me Be Myself\u2019 as Wolfie, and then 20, 30 years later, I own an actual spot that I used to walk around and just love and think that it was really cool to be here at the theme parks,\u201d Fatone said.<\/p>\n

Universal Orlando\u2019s Beetlejuice show ended in 2016<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the time of working here, everybody was dreaming. We were young. Nobody knew where we were going to go. Nobody knew \u2018N Sync was going to be what it was going to be. Nobody realized the career that he was going to have,\u201d Mulvihill said. \u201cI didn\u2019t realize the things that I was going to be able to see and travel the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Later, Mulvihill traveled with \u2018N Sync and eventually moved into a manager role for Fatone.<\/p>\n

Together, they started the Fat One\u2019s business with an outlet<\/a> at Florida Mall<\/a> about 10 years ago, and then it became a food truck endeavor. It has been \u201con pause\u201d for about five years, since the early COVID pandemic days, Mulvihill said.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Fat One from Fat One’s is a footlog dog with roasted pork, pepperoni, chili beans, fries and more. (Dewayne Bevil\/Orlando Sentinel)(Dewayne Bevil\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to find the perfect fit and someone that\u2019s going to take us seriously,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd Universal was that,\u201d Fatone added.<\/p>\n

Mulvihill has \u201cbeen so very business-savvy about other things that I would never think of,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Epic Universe, Legoland nab Golden Ticket Awards<\/a><\/p>\n

The Fat One\u2019s menu will feature nine signature dogs, including one called the Dirty K-Pop with kimchi and gochujang sauce \u201cwhich is something I would never think to put on a hot dog, really,\u201d Fatone said. There\u2019s also El Fonsi (\u201ckind of a Puerto Rican Latin flavor\u201d), a Mediterranean dog called the Angelo and To-NY with sauerkraut, red onions and mustard.<\/p>\n

\"FatFat One’s El Fonsi — a shout-out to singer Luis Fonsi — has ham, turkey, sofrito, potato sticks, onion jam and more. (Dewayne Bevil\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

Fat One\u2019s worked with the Universal culinary team on menu decisions and options, including a vegan dog.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t really have any butting of the heads,\u201d Fatone said.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0counter-service restaurant is near\u00a0Antojitos<\/a> and uphill from the\u00a0Universal Legacy Store at CityWalk. There has been a revamp of the space since the previous tenant moved out, but its tiered stands remain.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe talked about moving the seats, but, man, those are from real baseball stadiums, which kind of feels like a concertgoer seat. So it\u2019s like, OK, this makes sense,\u201d Mulvihill said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a nice revamp of everything that was there,\u201d he said. \u201cWe hope that this is a destination spot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AnAn image of Joey Fatone’s head figures into the exterior of Fat One’s Hot Dogs & Italian Ice, a new eatery at Universal CityWalk. Fatone, who shot to fame with singing group ‘N Sync after a stint as an entertainer at Universal Studios Florida theme park, is one of the founders of the establishment. (Dewayne Bevil\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

Their original Universal experience served as an education for future endeavors in entertainment and hospitality, Mulvihill said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we learned here from people from all over the world in entertaining different languages and dealing with different people and dealing with all the things that were going on. \u2026 And then we took that same philosophy as the theme park and brought it to the \u2018N Sync world,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe used to be on the road \u2014 50,000 people. We\u2019d be like, \u2018This is just like performing at Universal,\u2019\u201d Mulvihill said.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody would laugh. Like, \u2018No, it\u2019s the same thing. It just so happens to be at higher stakes, and he\u2019s not in makeup. It\u2019s really him. That\u2019s the difference.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

dbevil@orlandosentinel.com<\/a><\/p>\n

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