Our Story · Since 1975 · Under New Ownership

Same corner.
Same standard.

Fifty-one Florida summers on West Prospect Road. The flat-top has not gone cold. The recipes have not budged. The mural on the back wall — palm trees, painted skyline, a sun that does not move — has watched the whole thing.

An Italian sub from Fat Freddy's — Genoa salami, capicola, and ham layered with provolone on a fresh roll

1975 — the first sub

Fat Freddy's opened on West Prospect Road in 1975. The neighborhood was different. West Prospect was two-lane. Florida was emptier. A cold sub came on a roll, with cheese you picked yourself, and that was the whole transaction. Five categories on the menu — cold subs, smash burgers, philly steaks, chicken, salads — and that was the whole transaction then, too.

Fifty-one Florida summers

What changed is everything around us. What did not is what happens behind the counter. Bread comes in fresh. Meat gets sliced. The flat-top runs hot from ten in the morning. Onions go on. Sweet peppers, mushrooms, jalapeños — pick your weapon. Cheese melts on top. Bun toasts. Plate goes to the bar. Next.

We are open Monday through Friday, ten to five. A small kitchen run by people who have done it thousands of times means every order looks like the order before it. It is the only way we know how to do this.

Under new ownership

Fat Freddy's is under new ownership and better than ever. Whether you're a longtime fan or a first-time visitor, you'll notice the difference in every bite and every visit. The recipes did not change. The standards did not change. What did change is who is sweating over the flat-top — and the answer is people who care.

In The Press · New Pelican · May 13, 2026

"You're never too young
to be the boss."

Featured in New Pelican · South Florida's young entrepreneurs · By Nile Fortner

Abby June, 22, the new owner of Fat Freddy's Sub Shop, and Catherine Cerniglia stand side-by-side at the Oakland Park ribbon-cutting holding an oversized pair of ceremonial scissors, with blue and gold balloons behind them.
Abby June (left) with Catherine Cerniglia at the ribbon-cutting. Photo: New Pelican / Courtesy
The Story

Since 1979, Fat Freddy's Sub Shop has been famous for hearty, no-frills sandwiches like its beloved cheesesteaks. It's a neighborhood spot that quietly builds a loyal following over decades of stacked bread, melted cheese, and nostalgia-heavy comfort food. Today, that legacy has taken a new turn. Abby June, 22, has stepped in as the new owner — taking over the business just about a month ago and already shaping the next chapter.

"I was working for Cathy. I bought it from her after her husband passed."

Entrepreneurship runs in her family. Her parents both built their own paths in business, including her mother who runs a charter boat operation. "I always wanted to own my own business — to be in control of my own future," said June.

That upbringing of self-starters shaped her approach. June now channels the same spirit into Fat Freddy's. She blends respect for the shop's long-standing identity with her own vision for the neighborhood favorite.

"They're saying Fat Freddy's is back."

The wall behind you

The mural on the back wall is hand-painted. Palm trees, a row of beachy little buildings, a flat blue sky. Sit at the bar and watch it from the side. It is the most Florida thing in the room — and the room has more than its share.

What we owe you

A roll that holds together. A burger that does not lose its juice on the way to the wrapper. A philly that arrives hot, with onions blackened at the edges. A staff that knows your usual after the third visit. A counter clean enough to eat at. The same standard, every Tuesday, for fifty-one years.

Stuffin' your buns ALLways. Then. Now. Next.

See The Menu Plan Your Visit
The Room

Fluorescent lights.
Counter regulars.

Walk in, get in line, order at the counter, sit at the bar. Watch the cityscape mural while we build your sub. Fifty-one years of muscle memory in front of you.

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Fat Freddy's interior at lunch — counter, regulars, hand-painted Florida cityscape mural
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