Iconic Frozen Cocktail Brand And Bar Chain Opening First CA Location

SAN DIEGO, CA — San Diegans will soon be able to celebrate Mardi Gras all year long.

After four decades of serving customers from Bourbon Street to the Vegas Strip, iconic frozen cocktail brand and national bar chain, Fat Tuesday, is expanding to California and opening a location in San Diego. The brand's 3,600-square-foot flagship will open June 27 in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter.

"People have been begging us to come to California for years, and San Diego was the perfect place for us to bring the party," Fat Tuesday CEO Alex Monahan said. "This spot takes everything people love about the brand and takes it to a new level. It's our biggest, boldest location yet, and we think it's going to be a fan favorite."

The San Diego location marks Fat Tuesday's debut on the West Coast and its most immersive restaurant-bar concept to date, according to the company.

Fat Tuesday debuted its first two larger format concepts in late 2024 and early 2025, one in Tampa's Ybor City and another in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The new San Diego spot, the third in Fat Tuesday's new experience-led flagships, aims to blend daytime energy with a late-night vibe and serve as a pregame destination for Padres games.

The larger format concept features a family-friendly lunch spot that shifts into a 20-television sports hub for afternoon games. The location will also offer nightly live entertainment, featuring hip-hop or Latin mixing DJs, karaoke, bingo and more.

"Fat Tuesday has always been known for our world-famous frozen cocktails, but what we're building now goes beyond the drink," Monahan told Patch. "We're creating spaces with real energy. Places where the vibe, the music, the crowd, and the unique cocktails all come together. San Diego is a glimpse of what's next for our brand as we expand this concept, bold, fun, and built for people who want more than just a great daiquiri. They want a night they'll remember and keep coming back for."

Born in 1984 in New Orleans, Fat Tuesday has grown to become the largest alcohol business in the country, specializing in frozen cocktails. The brand has 54 company-owned locations and 22 franchised locations, with plans to surpass 100 locations in the coming years.

Fat Tuesday will be open from noon to 2 a.m. Monday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at 618 Fifth Ave. in downtown San Diego.