Lev Lazinskiy

75 Years of Culinary Tradition at Frank Fat's

In 1939 an immigrant dishwasher named Frank Fat borrowed $2,000 to open a restaurant a few blocks away form the California State Capitol in Sacramento. For the next five decades it would serve as the place to meet and get things done for local Sacramento politicians. One of the most famous anecdotes from it’s long history was the 1987 “Napkin Deal”^[2] where a group of lobbyists, lawyers and political insiders created a pact written on a Frank Fat’s napkin to support sweeping tort reform.

Fat was fueled by a simple view of what a successful restaurant looks like; “You give people good food, a nice place to eat it in and make them happy."^[1] A few generations later, Frank Fat’s is still serving up some of the best food in Sacramento.

The restaurant industry is one of the most challenging to succeed in. A testament to the passion that Fat had for the business can be seen to this day. The cuisine has changed quite a bit over the years. Originally, there was a combination of both Chinese and American dishes. The modern Fat’s menu serves up a wide selection of rice and noodle dishes originating from the cuisines of many different parts of China.

References: [1] Frank Fat’s: An Iconic eatery celebrates its 70th birthday from Capitol Weekly. [2] Willie Brown: Power, Money, and Instinct from The Alicia Patterson Foundation.