Fat One’s Universal CityWalk’s newest restaurant says it will open in just weeks
Universal CityWalk’s newest restaurant is nearly ready to open, and Joey Fatone says guests won’t have to wait beyond September to try it.
Fat One’s Hot Dogs & Italian Ice is taking over the former Hot Dog Hall of Fame location at Universal CityWalk Orlando. New photos taken Sept. 1 by Attractions Magazine’s video editor, @magiccitymayhem Mikey, show the restaurant’s transformation well underway, with Fat One’s signage, banners and red, white and black star graphics now installed throughout the location.
The restaurant shared its own construction update on Instagram on Sept. 1, writing, “Yesssssss we are a few weeks away!!!!!!!!! Universal Orlando City Walk, here we come !!!!!” Fatone then provided an even narrower opening window in the comments.
“I know people are asking about the actual date,” Fatone wrote. He said the opening “definitely is this month” and that the team is finalizing the date. Fatone added that he believes the opening will be on a weekend and said an announcement will come “very soon.”
Fat One’s replaces Hot Dog Hall of Fame at Universal CityWalk
Universal Orlando announced Fat One’s Hot Dogs & Italian Ice in May as the replacement for Hot Dog Hall of Fame. The former restaurant closed in July 2026 after operating at CityWalk since 2014.
Fat One’s was founded by *NSYNC member Joey Fatone and his manager, Joe Mulvihill. When Universal announced the CityWalk restaurant, it described the upcoming menu as featuring “creative, flavor-packed hot dogs, Italian ices, and more.”
The complete menu for the CityWalk location has not yet been announced.
Italian ice, however, is already drawing some interest. One person commenting on Fat One’s Instagram post specifically celebrated the frozen treat coming to CityWalk. Italian ice is confirmed as part of the concept — it is included in the restaurant’s name and was specifically mentioned when the CityWalk location was announced.
All photos by MagicCityMayhem Mikey
Mikey’s new photos also show that the former Hot Dog Hall of Fame space remains recognizable. Its stadium-style seating and baseball-inspired flooring can still be seen, while the restaurant itself has received prominent Fat One’s branding. Tall red-and-black banners featuring the Fat One’s logo now line the walkway outside.
Joey Fatone’s history with Universal goes back before *NSYNC
Fat One’s also brings Fatone back to familiar territory. The New York native moved to the Orlando area as a teenager and attended Dr. Phillips High School before finding fame as a member of *NSYNC, which formed in Orlando in the 1990s. Fatone also worked as a performer at Universal Studios Florida before his music career took off.
Fatone returned to his Orlando roots for another venture in 2016, opening the first Fat One’s Hot Dogs & Italian Ice at The Florida Mall. At the time, he said the mall held a personal connection because he had spent time there growing up. The CityWalk restaurant brings Fat One’s to Universal Orlando a decade after that first location debuted.
Fat One’s has not announced its September opening date or released the full CityWalk menu. Based on Fatone’s Sept. 1 comments, both could be coming soon.
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