Website www.fatz.com Founded 1988 | Number of locations 48 Parent organization CAFE ENTERPRISES, INC. | |
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Industry Casual dining Restaurants Key people Jim Balis, President and CEO Headquarters South Carolina, United States Profiles | ||
Restaurant report card fatz
Fatz (stylized FATZ) is a regional casual dining restaurant chain with locations in the Southeastern United States. It is operated by Cafe Enterprises, Inc., with headquarters in Taylors, South Carolina.
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History
The first Fatz opened November 1988 in a converted peach shed in Spartanburg, South Carolina; until 2011, it was known as Fatz Cafe. The chain avoids locations in large metropolitan areas and as of 2011, the chain has 48 locations in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Menu
The main menu features chicken, pasta, steaks, ribs, and seafood. The menu also includes salads, soups, sandwiches and burgers. Specialty entrees are both traditional and new American food. The chain uses trans fat-free canola oil for frying, and can accommodate special dietary needs.
Awards and recognition
In 2004, Fatz was ranked 316 on the Restaurants & Institutions magazine's "Top 400" list of restaurant chains in the United States.
In 2010, Bruce Dressler, Operating Partner of Fatz Irmo, was recognized by the SC Hospitality Association as one of the Stars of South Carolina's Hospitality Industry earning the Restaurant Manager of the Year award.
Community involvement
Fatz sponsors the Clemson Tigers, the South Carolina Gamecocks, and the Georgia Bulldogs. Fatz in Shelby, North Carolina sponsors Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs' Club Hospitality Area during all Home Football and Men’s Basketball games. Besides contribution from the chain to the communities in which the company operates, individual location operations also contribute to local causes.