Our Story – Nathan’s famous

Love At First Sight

It all began in 1913, where New Yorkers first sampled the nation's favorite new taste at Coney Island’s first frankfurter stand, Feltman's German Beer Garden. There, two young polish immigrant workers, Nathan Handwerker, a roll slicer and Ida Greenwald, a waitress first met. She caught his eyes that night and it was practically a matched made in hot dog heaven.

A Humble Beginning

Three years later, the two lovebirds plunked down their entire $300 life savings on their very own frankfurter stand. With Ida’s grandmother's secret spice recipe and Nathan’s good old fashioned American value, they sold the country's newest favorite food for just a nickel - half the price of the competition. The duo also sold tasty crinkle cut French fries made from potatoes peeled fresh every morning.

The Legacy Continues

As time passed, the frankfurter sandwich was called the hot dog and Nathan's Famous beef hot dogs was known to be the best. Since then, Nathan’s Famous has become an integral part of America, serving nine American Presidents. Franklin Delano Roosevelt also served King George and Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain with Nathan's Famous hot dogs to give them a true taste of America.

Now with new stores, new items, and a new generation of hot dog lovers, Nathan’s Famous and its 1916 recipe has spread across continents, giving birth to a cultural phenomenon known as the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest – an annual eating contest held in Coney Island.