WEATHERFORD — Marsha Brown

 WEATHERFORD — A privately-held company plans to covert a former grocery store building on South Main Street into a restaurant and entertainment venue. The company will take its plans before the Weatherford City Council in February, after being granted approval from the Planning and Development board Jan. 13 to turn the former Super Save building into a Fat Daddy’s restaurant and club.

“An application was received by the city from Mansfield-based Angmar Entertainment/Marline Fourteen, LLC. What they’re planning is a restaurant and club. The company is requesting a conditional use permit for an indoor commercial entertainment facility,” according to Don Stephens, director of planning and development for the city.

The property, located at 1314 S. Main St., became vacant when Super Saver Grocery moved to College Park Shopping Center late last year. Angmar Entertainment is the parent company of Fat Daddy’s and has contracted to purchase the old Super Save building. The company has plans to transform the now-shuttered grocery store into a combination restaurant, party venue, nightclub, pool hall, outdoor cafe, dance club and sports bar. Steaks, salads and sandwiches are the common fare for Fat Daddy’s.

“It’s a very family-oriented, up-scale restaurant,” said Monty Reynolds, directory of operations for Fat Daddy’s. “Then, at 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, if you’re not 21 years old, it’s time to leave. Fat Daddy’s becomes an entertainment venue with live music and dancing.”

“Some folks in the neighborhood around the building have been concerned about noise from the music being heard into the neighborhood,” Stephens said. “But the company plans to use a number of noise insulation methods. Bear in mind that Weatherford does have a noise ordinance in place.”

The Weatherford South Main Street property is zoned “general retail.” The application states the company plans include operation of a mixed-use facility at the site, including, but not limited to, dining, live music, billiard/pool tables, darts, shuffleboards, etc. In Weatherford, a special use permit is required if a business will have more than two pool tables.

Why Weatherford?

“Because Weatherford needs something like this,” Reynolds said. “Weatherford is growing and it’s going to continue to grow and we want to be a part of that. The Weatherford Fat Daddy’s will be our largest so far.”

Weatherford’s Planning and Zoning Board approved the company’s request for a conditional use permit for the entertainment venue during the board’s Jan. 13, meeting. The board chairman asked if anyone cared to comment and no one did. The board passed the measure.

“Yes, you go by there at lunch or dinner time and it’s a destination restaurant, but during the times they’re open as an entertainment venue, it’s more of a club,” said City of Mansfield spokeswoman Belinda Willis. “It’s been very popular as a restaurant and as a club … We’ve had no problems with Fat Daddy’s.”

Some recent acts to perform on Fat Daddy’s stage are Pat Greene, The Spazmatics, The Klocks, Bleu Edmonson, Vanilla Ice, Charlie Daniels Band, Le Freak and The Eli Young Band.

The club plans to open late on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. It will be comparable to the company’s Fat Daddy’s restaurant and club in Mansfield. The company also operates a Fat Daddy’s in downtown Fort Worth and another in Waxahachie. But don’t expect an exact replica of the Mansfield facility.

“We design each restaurant individually to fit the community they’re in,” Reynolds said. “The Weatherford Fat Daddy’s will be designed expressly for Weatherford.”

Projected growth in Parker County and attractive demographics were key factors in deciding on Weatherford as the location for the newest Fat Daddy’s, according to Aaron Stalberger, vice president of operations. While Vanilla Ice was scheduled to perform in the Downtown Fort Worth Fat Daddy’s recently, the Weatherford club is unlikely to see a lot of Hip Hop performers on its stage.

“Weatherford will probably get a different type of entertainer,” Stalberger said. “Weatherford will see more performers like Gary Allen and the Charlie Daniels Band.”

If all goes as planned for the Mansfield-based company, Fat Daddy’s could open its doors as soon as late summer of this year.