BRUNSWICK — A Maine landmark is up for sale. The Fat Boy, a Brunswick car hop drive-in that has been dishing up burgers, fries and lobster rolls since the mid-1950s, is on the market.
Fat Boy had announced it was closing after Labor Day in Facebook page post in August, but indicated it was only closing for the season. However, the “For Sale” sign from Magnusson Balfour brokers that has been affixed under the business’ signature marquee on Bath Road indicates otherwise.
A listing for a restaurant on the website of Magnusson brokers doesn’t mention Fat Boy by name, but does describe a Cumberland County business with an asking price of $1.15 million for a “popular turnkey” seasonal fast-food establishment that is “known to thousands around the world for its nostalgic business flavor.” The reason for the sale was listed as retirement.
Owners Jeanne and Ken Burton have been running the business since the 1980s. Fat Boy grilled up its first burger in 1955, across the road from the former Brunswick Naval Air Station.
The drive-in’s seasonal opening has been heralded as an unofficial start of spring every year for those in the southern midcoast with a penchant for nostalgia. The restaurant has had its share of ups and downs, including a lack of seasonal help.
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