A combination sports bar and hot wing restaurant is opening Dec. 1 at 2857 Appling Way, near the intersection of Stage and Appling roads.

The 7,200-square-foot building will house Fanatic Sports Bar on the right side, the Wing Fanatic on the left side and a 1,000-square-foot entertainment zone known as the “living room” in the middle area.

The living room will feature stadium seating with a large TV customers can rent as well as two pool tables and a ping pong table customers can use for free.

Table Talk: Hot (wing) takes on the Memphis dining scene

“This building used to be three different suites, but the partitions were all removed to make it just one building,” owner Darrick Franklin said. “Wing Fanatic will have its own exterior sign as well as its own autonomous entrances.” 

Franklin said he has always wanted to open a sports bar that entertains and focuses on family, friends and community. 

“We will be a home-grown, home-built from the bottom sports bar, not a nightclub or catering to the nightlife atmosphere,” Franklin said. “We want to be thought of as a place to go for the average Joe, the average consumer, to come in and let your hair down and just be a fanatic of sports.”

Fanatic Sports Bar will offer “a menu centered around cooked-to-order fresh American food,” Franklin said. Wing Fanatic will have 31 flavors of hot wing sauces. 

Franklin said he has worked with many different franchises in the hot wings restaurant business, but he hasn’t seen sports fans like he has in Memphis.

“We will be a home-grown, home-built from the bottom sports bar, not a nightclub or catering to the nightlife atmosphere. We want to be thought of as a place to go for the average Joe, the average consumer, to come in and let your hair down and just be a fanatic of sports.”

Darrick Franklin

“There are real sports fanatics in Memphis, so that’s why we are calling it ‘Fanatic,’” Franklin said. “The sports in the South is almost like a religion.”

Franklin said one aspect of the sports bar that will be different is the “bring your own bottle,” or BYOB, concept.

Fanatic will have a large selection of beer, but not liquor. Franklin said they will provide the cups, the ice, sodas, water and things like that to go along with an alcoholic beverage.

“If you go to a bar, that bar tab can end up being pretty pricey when you put the alcohol in there,” Franklin said. “We’re going to allow people to bring their own alcohol in. Just get the food from us and enjoy yourself.” 

When opened, Fanatic Sports Bar will start having a house band perform every Friday to give sports bar music “a different flair and flavor,” Franklin said. 

“Hopefully, they’d come in and just relax and have a good time in a family-friendly atmosphere,” Franklin said.