WILTON — A new sandwich shop, Fattie McGee’s Burger Joint, will soon offer authentic American cuisine. 

Owner Hugh Ryan hopes to open the shop at 740 Main St., the site of the former TJ’s Corner Store, in 60 to 90 days, he said. 

It will feature steak subs, burgers, french fries and handmade gourmet appetizers, he said. Wraps and salads will also be on the menu. 

“It will be a family restaurant with a focus on the food,” he said.

The food will be handmade — not pre-made or processed — and will make use of local produce and meat as much as possible, Ryan said.

He will also offer a catering menu for parties and events. 

He said he decided to specialize in burgers and fries because “no one else seemed to be doing that.”

Ryan bought the property about five years ago with the intention of renovating as much as he could rather than taking on debt. The first year, water pipes burst and flooded the cellar. A costly furnace replacement and other repairs slowed the work, he said.

Most of the renovations are completed and seating for 24 has been set up.

The Wilton Planning Board has approved a change-of-use permit for the business. He needs a health inspection and state licensing to open.  

Ryan, who grew up locally and moved away after high school, gained experience in restaurant management and cooking in Augusta, Georgia, before he moved back to Wilton.

The name of the restaurant was chosen because when he and his brother were children they called each other Fattie McGee, he said. 

abryant@sunmediagroup.net

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