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Before Nathan’s Hot Famous Hot Dogs became known as “The Flavor of New York,” a relished national favorite, or an iconic household name, it was but a humble stand selling 5-cent all-beef hot dogs. The iconic frank franchise was sold to Smithfield for $450 million in 2026, but founder Nathan Handwerker started it with a mere $300 loan and a dream. A Jewish-Polish immigrant, Handwerker set up his small stand on Coney Island in 1916 with the help of his wife’s secret recipe.
Before venturing out on his own, Handwerker was a roll slicer at Feltman’s German Gardens in 1912, the Coney Island business widely credited as the first hot dog stand. The story goes that two singing waiters and soon-to-be stars, Eddie Cantor and Jimmy Durante, convinced Handwerker to start his own hot dog stand and only charge 5 cents, half the price of Feltman’s. The two entertainers were actually the ones who gave him the $300 loan to launch his business.
To get business sizzling, it’s rumored Handwerker persuaded college kids to pose as doctors on their lunch break from nearby Coney Island Hospital to line up at his cart to reassure customers. Nathan’s Famous’s popularity heated up from there, and in 1959, the stand began its expansion. By the ’80s, Nathan’s had the most famous hot dog eating contest, appeared in supermarkets worldwide, and was sold in thousands of places.
From nickel dogs to national treasure
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In 2016, Nathan’s Famous celebrated its 100th anniversary with a special 5-cent hot dog, a nod to the original price when it first opened. That same year, the company marked another milestone by breaking a new Guinness World Records record during the promotional period for the longest line of hot dogs on Labor Day. To commemorate the centennial, they spelled out “100” and lined up 1,916 hot dogs.
Building on this momentum, the following year, Major League Baseball and Nathan’s Famous entered into a sponsorship deal, allowing Nathan’s to market itself as MLB’s official hot dog. Since then, it has remained the league’s first and only official hot dog brand.
Eager to win over even more meat lovers, the company expanded its menu in 2020 by introducing burgers, cheesesteaks, and piled-high chicken sandwiches. Nathan’s Famous also added crinkle-cut fries and milkshakes to its offerings. This hot dog’s legacy has only grown stronger over the years, with the business now operating more than 280 franchise locations worldwide, and its signature hot dogs are sold in more than 78,000 venues globally. The original stand still operates on the Riegelmann Boardwalk, slinging franks and frog legs year-round.
Dining and Cooking