Nathan's Famous facts for kids
Company logo
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The original Coney Island branch of Nathan's Famous
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| Public | |
| Traded as | NASDAQ: NATH Russell 2000 component |
| Industry | Food |
| Founded | 1916 in Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. |
| Founders | Nathan Handwerker Ida Handwerker |
| Headquarters |
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U.S.
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Number of locations
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198 (January 2022) |
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Area served
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United States, Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Panama, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates |
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Key people
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Howard M. Lorber (executive chairman) Eric Gatoff (CEO) Wayne Norbitz (president and COO) |
| Products | Hot dogs, hamburgers, cheesesteaks, onion rings, meatball heros, chicken, milkshakes |
| Services | Fast-food restaurants Retail brand Franchising |
| Revenue |  US$103.325 million (FY 2020) |
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Operating income
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 US$27.172 million (FY 2020) |
| US$13.435 million (FY 2020) |
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| Total assets | US$105.282 million (FY 2020) |
| Total equity | US$-66,401 million (FY 2020) |
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Number of employees
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13,044 (2021) |
Nathan's Famous, Inc. is an American company famous for its hot dogs. It runs a chain of fast-food restaurants. The very first Nathan's restaurant is still open in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City. The company's main office is in Jericho, which is part of Oyster Bay, New York.
Contents
The Story of Nathan's Famous
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Nathan's Famous started with a man named Nathan Handwerker. He was an immigrant from Poland who came to New York City in 1912. He found a job at a restaurant called Feltman's German Gardens in Coney Island.
Nathan and his wife, Ida Handwerker, decided to start their own business. They used all their savings, which was $300. This was a lot of money back in 1916!
How the Hot Dog Stand Began
Nathan's began as a small hot dog stand in Coney Island in 1916. Ida Handwerker created the special hot dog recipe. Her grandmother made the secret spice mix that gave the hot dogs their unique taste.
Nathan's hot dogs were made from all-beef. They were not made from pork or horse meat. Nathan called them "kosher style" because of this.
Nathan sold his hot dogs for five cents each. This was half the price of his old boss, Feltman's, who charged 10 cents. To make sure people trusted his food, Nathan had men dressed like surgeons eat at his stand. This showed customers that the food was clean and safe. People loved the hot dogs, and the business became very popular.
Growing the Business
Nathan Handwerker's son, Murray Handwerker, helped the company grow. The second Nathan's restaurant opened in Oceanside, New York, in 1959. Another one opened in Yonkers, New York, in 1965.
In 1968, Murray Handwerker became the president of Nathan's Famous. That same year, the company became a public company. This means people could buy shares of the company.
In 1987, the Handwerker family sold all the Nathan's locations. After this, Nathan's started letting other people open restaurants using their name. This is called franchising. Many new Nathan's restaurants opened in New York City and other places.
In 2017, Major League Baseball made a deal with Nathan's Famous. This made Nathan's the official hot dog brand of the league. Nathan's hot dogs are mostly made by Smithfield Foods. You can also buy Nathan's hot dogs in grocery stores.
The Original Nathan's Location
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The first Nathan's hot dog stand from 1916 is still open today in Coney Island. It used to be open every single day of the year. However, it had to close for a short time in 2012 because of Hurricane Sandy. It reopened six months later in May 2013.
The original location is special because it still sells fried frog legs. This has been on their menu since the 1950s. No other Nathan's restaurant sells them!
The Hot Dog Eating Contest
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Every year on the 4th of July, Nathan's holds a famous hot dog eating contest. It takes place at the original Coney Island location. Contestants try to eat as many hot dogs as they can in 10 minutes.
Some famous winners include Takeru Kobayashi (who won from 2001 to 2006) and Joey Chestnut (who won many times, including from 2007 to 2014, and from 2016 to 2023, and again in 2025). Miki Sudo is a top winner in the women's contest. She won from 2014 to 2020, and from 2022 to 2025.
In 2018, Joey Chestnut set a new world record. He ate 74 hot dogs and buns!
See also
In Spanish: Nathan's Famous para niños
- Coney Island hot dog
- Kosher style
- List of hot dog restaurants
