Ramsey Native Gets 'Shark Tank' Deal For Fat Shack Restaurants

RAMSEY, NJ — Tom Armenti has taken one of New Jersey's most iconic foods and is going national with it.

To help the Ramsey native along, Mark Cuban gave him and his business partner, Kevin Gabauer a deal on the May 12 episode of "Shark Tank." Cuban invested $250,000 for a 15 percent stake in their company, Fat Shack.

Fat Shack is a Colorado-based company specializing in the New Jersey-bred variety of Fat sandwiches made famous by the "grease trucks" at Rutgers University. The sandwiches contain a mixture of fried and grilled foods like mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers, cheesesteak, and onion rings, piled high on a hoagie roll.

"Growing up in New Jersey, it was a staple food for me," Armenti said.

The Fat Shack grew out of Armenti's first business featuring the sandwiches, Cars Late Night Delivery Service.

Armenti opened the first Fat Shack restaurant in Ewing in February 2010 after he graduated from The College of New Jersey the preceding year.

"It was a tiny operation," Armenti said. "I would visit family in Colorado and my uncle said to look into Fort Collins. Fat sandwiches were a brand-new concept out there. No one had ever heard of them."

Armenti took a chance and made the move out west, opening the first Colorado store in 2011.

"When I got out there, I had no idea if people would love it or hate it," Armenti said. "Luckily they loved it."

Armenti worked hard. The first year was rough. He was still figuring the business out and did not make money, often sleeping in the back of the restaurant. Eventually, he figured everything out and did well. Then he reached out to his friend, Gabauer.

"Once I got everything worked out, I could see it growing into other markets," Armenti said. "That's when I reached out to Kevin. He is the most organized person I know."

The partners opened a restaurant in Boulder in 2013 and three more in Colorado in 2015. There are now 10 franchise locations in Colorado, four in Texas and one in Washington.

"We've talked about coming back to New Jersey," Armenti said. "We'll be back there at some point. It's just a matter of time."

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com