Some diners came because of the novelty, some said they were there because of the buzz and a few said they were just hungry and driving through the neighborhood.

Whatever their reasons, Fat Ho Burgers did brisk lunch business Tuesday, the restaurant’s opening day.

Dache Johnson (left), Daniel Flores (back left) and Megan Gilmore (right) eat their meals at Fat Ho Burgers on Tuesday.
Duane A. Laverty / Waco Tribune-Herald

A cramped parking lot in front of the restaurant was full of cars and trucks, forcing diners to park in a lot across the street and on busy South 11th Street, where some drivers slowed down to glance at the provocative name on the banner in front of the business.

During the meat of Tuesday’s lunch hour, several customers called friends on their cellphones, chuckling about the menu, which refers to a single-patty burger as a “Supa Fly Ho” and a double as a “Supa Dupa Fly Ho.”

Another customer said he’d heard about the restaurant, and its name, on the radio in the morning, and AM radio personality Shane Warner was on hand for the restaurant’s first lunch hour.

He said he was planning to feature a debate about the name on today’s show.

Diners weren’t blushing about eating at a restaurant with a derogatory word in its title.

“That name does hit you,” said William Johnson, 42, of Marlin, who was in Waco to visit a computer store and stopped to get lunch after seeing the banner.

“But as long as it’s good,” Johnson said, he wouldn’t be deterred by the moniker, adding that his burger was “pretty good for the price.”

George Posey appeared buttoned up in the casual restaurant as he wolfed down a burger.

“The food’s good, so I’ll come back,” he said.

Asked if he had second thoughts because of the name, Posey said, “I sure don’t,” before adding, “I eat at Hooters, too.”

A trio of young professionals from a Waco marketing company came away with less favorable impressions of the restaurant — which also serves Tex-Mex, breakfast staples and soul food.

The group, Dache Johnson, Daniel Flores and Megan Gilmore, contribute to a local restaurant review blog called “We only do dives.”

They said they were underwhelmed by their meals.

Name causes division

Meanwhile, people continued to debate the propriety of the word “ho” in a restaurant name.

Shortly after news of the restaurant’s name was the subject of a newspaper article, Shelley Littleton created a Facebook group asking the owner, Lakita Evans, to pick a different name for the business.

Littleton said Tuesday membership for the group had tripled in a day’s time, but then the page was pulled by Facebook administrators.

“We can’t figure out why,” Littleton said Tuesday. “I’ve appealed to Facebook to ask them why a group fighting misogyny has been removed, and they won’t tell me.”

Littleton, who runs a business consulting firm in Los Angeles, has publicly offered Evans free branding and marketing advice if she’d change the restaurant’s name.

A Waco High graduate and head of a San Antonio production company made a different offer Tuesday.

“I thought it was pretty funny, and we kind of do funny videos,” said Javier Garcia, president of Digital Comedy Studios.

“When I saw (Littleton) was offering marketing services if (Evans) changes the name,” Garcia said, “I decided to offer to produce a free commercial if she keeps it.”

mshapiro@wacotrib.com

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