Nathan's Famous Offers 5¢ Hot Dogs to Celebrate 100th Anniversary

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, is celebrating its 100th Anniversary in 2016. As part of a series of special events and promotions in Coney Island and across the country, Nathan's will offer hot dogs for just 5 cents, the original 1916 Coney Island price, at the original Nathan's Famous store at the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues on Saturday, May 28 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (limit two hot dogs per person).

Additional 5 cent hot dog day deals are available at Nathan's restaurants and supermarkets across the country. Consumers can preregister for these deals at Nathans5Cent.com and will receive special coupons via email on May 28 (quantities limited, terms and conditions apply).

Nathan's Famous was founded in 1916 by Polish immigrant Nathan Handwerker, who borrowed $300 to open his hot dog stand in Coney Island. 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 Famous Executive Board Member and former 26-year President 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 10 foreign countries. Nathan's Famous packaged hot dogs have achieved a leadership position at retail.

Nathan's Famous operates in arenas and stadiums (Yankee Stadium, Barclays Center, MetLife Stadium, The Dallas Cowboys' AT&T Stadium), Regal Theaters, Cinemax Theaters, shopping centers, colleges and universities, airports and highway travel plazas, amusement parks, casinos and hotels. In foodservice, Nathan's available prototypes include: carts, kiosks, counter modular units, 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.

Smithfield Foods is the licensee of Nathan's Famous pre-packaged hot dogs.

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 Famous 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 one billion consumer impressions via earned media each year.

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