Charles Feltman facts for kids

Charles Feltman (born 1841, died 1910) was a German-American businessman. Many people say he invented the hot dog.

The Hot Dog's Beginning

Charles Feltman was born in Germany in 1841. He moved to America in 1856 when he was 15 years old. He knew about frankfurters from his home country. These sausages were named after the city of Frankfurt.

In 1867, Feltman started selling pies from a pushcart. He worked at the Coney Island beach, selling food to people enjoying the sun.

How the Hot Dog Was Born

In 1869, he had a great idea! He put a frankfurter sausage into a long bun. This made it easy to hold and eat anywhere. Feltman called his new food the "Coney Island red hot." It quickly became very popular.

A historian named Henry Collins Brown explained why it was so popular. He said you could eat it while walking. You could also enjoy it on the beach or even on a carousel. It was a very handy food for summer fun.

What's in a Name?

It took a while for people to decide what to call Feltman's new food. Some called it a frankfurter or a sausage. Others used "Coney Island red hot" or "weenie." People wondered what kind of meat was inside the casing. This mystery led to the name "hot dog."

In 1871, Feltman leased some land. He started building a large restaurant complex. By the 1920s, it was very famous. It served about 5.25 million people each year! The complex had many restaurants, bars, a beer garden, and a famous carousel. It offered many kinds of food, not just hot dogs.

Feltman's and Nathan's

Nathan Handwerker used to work at Feltman's. He sliced the rolls for the hot dogs. Later, he left to start his own hot dog stand called Nathan's Famous. Nathan sold hot dogs for five cents, while Feltman sold them for ten cents. Nathan's became very successful. It is now a well-known brand across the country.

Feltman's Legacy

Charles Feltman died in 1910. He is buried in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. After his death, his family continued to run the business. His sons, Charles L. Feltman and Alfred F. Feltman, and his grandson, Charles A. Feltman, managed the restaurant.

In 1946, the family sold the business. The restaurant closed its doors in 1954. The land where it stood later became the Astroland amusement park. Astroland opened in 1962 and closed in 2008. A new Luna Park now stands there. The last part of Feltman's, its old kitchen building, was taken down in 2010.

A Family Invention

Charles Feltman's grandson, Charles A. Feltman, invented something else fun. He created the "Shooting Star Tommy Gun." This is a special BB gun used in amusement park games. Players shoot at a red star on a paper target. Charles A. Feltman founded Shooting Star Games. This company still makes the device today. For many years, there was a shooting gallery right on the original Feltman's site.

Feltman's Returns

In the 2010s, a businessman named Michael Quinn opened a new hot dog place. He called it Feltman's of Coney Island. It is in New York's East Village. This was a tribute to the original Feltman's. On Memorial Day in 2017, he opened another location in Coney Island. It was in the same building where the old shooting gallery used to be!