Nathan’s Famous, the original American hot dog that began on Coney Island in Brooklyn and now sells hot dogs and other products throughout the nation and around the world, celebrates it 100th Anniversary in 2016. To commemorate the anniversary Nathan’s will hold a series of special events and promotions in Coney Island and across the nation.
Nathan’s Famous was founded in 1916 by Polish immigrant Nathan Handwerker, who borrowed $300 to open his hot dog stand at the corner of Surf and Stillwell avenues in Coney Island, Brooklyn. Nathan’s flagship restaurant still operates in the same location, but the global, publicly traded company now sells more than 500 million hot dogs per year.
“Nathan’s Famous hot dogs are an integral part of the New York City experience and the American experience,” said Nathan’s former 26-year President and COO Wayne Norbitz. “The unmatched quality of the hot dogs and their cultural significance has helped the brand to grow throughout the United States and around the world.”
Nathan’s Famous products are currently sold in more than 53,000 retail and foodservice locations, and are available in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Cayman Islands, and in ten foreign countries. Nathan’s packaged hot dogs has achieved a leadership position in retail.
Nathan’s operates in arenas and stadiums (Yankee Stadium, Barclays Center, MetLife Stadium, The Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium), Regal Theaters, Cinemax Theaters, racetracks and convention centers, colleges and universities, travel plazas, amusement parks, casinos and hotels. In foodservice, Nathan’s available prototypes include: carts, kiosks, counter modular unites, as well as small and large restaurants,
Nathan’s outlets have the ability to sell a limited menu of products or a full variety menu. The size of the outlet is determined by the real estate and marketing opportunity at hand.
History:
Nathan Handwerker originally worked for Feltman’s German Gardens, a Coney Island restaurant that charged 10 cents for a hot dog. Nathan sold his hot dogs — created using a secret spice recipe developed by his wife, Ida — for 5 cents, and his stand became an instant success. (The Nathan’s recipe remains a secret to this day.)
In the early days, legendary characters such as Eddie Cantor, Jimmy Durante, Al Capone and Cary Grant were regular customers in Coney Island. Nathan’s gained its first international exposure when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt served Nathan’s Famous hot dogs to the King and Queen of England in 1939. Roosevelt also had Nathan’s hot dogs sent to Yalta when he met with Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin.
Later, Nelson Rockefeller, Governor of New York, stated: “No man can hope to be elected in his state without being photographed eating a hot dog at Nathan’s Famous." Of course, Rockefeller himself was photographed eating a Nathan’s hot dog with attorney general Louis Lefkowitz and proprietor Nathan Handwerker. Likewise, Robert F. Kennedy campaigned in front of Nathan’s in his first U.S. Senate campaign. Even first lady Jacqueline Kennedy loved Nathan’s dogs, and served them at the White House. In 1999, New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani declared Nathan’s the “world’s best hot dog.”
Nathan’s annual hot dog eating contest, arguably America’s leading publicity event, is said to have begun in 1916 and is now broadcast live on ESPN. The contest has been broadcast on the network every July Fourth since 2004 and enjoys strong ratings with well over one million households tuning in each Independence Day. In addition to the ESPN broadcast, the contest attracts some 30,000 fans to Coney Island and generates nearly on billion consumer impressions via earned media each year.
Source: Nathan’s Famous