Nathan’s Hotdogs
Nathan’s began as a nickel hot dog stand in Coney Island in 1916 and bears the name of co-founder Nathan Handwerker, who started the business with his wife Ida Handwerker. Handwerker, an employee of Feltman’s hot dog stand, was encouraged by celebrity clients Eddie Cantor and Jimmy Durante to go into business in competition with his former employer.
Handwerker undercut Feltman’s by charging five cents for a hot dog when his former employer was charging ten.[citation needed] At a time when food regulation was in its infancy, and the pedigree of the hot dog particularly suspect, Handwerker made sure that men wearing surgeon’s smocks were seen eating at his stand to reassure potential customers.
Every July 4 since 1916, the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest has been held at the original location on Coney Island. Contestants try to consume the most hot dogs (and buns) in a twelve-minute time period. The Nathan’s event is at the center of the competitive eating circuit. Takeru Kobayashi won the 2006 competition by ingesting a world-record 54 hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes. This was his sixth consecutive victory in the tournament. In 2007, although setting his personal record of 63 hot dogs and buns (HDBs), he lost by a margin of 3 hot dogs to Joey Chestnut, who consumed a new world record of 66. In 2008, the time limit was changed to ten minutes. Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi tied with 59 hot dogs, before going to a tiebreaker of 5 hot dogs. Joey Chestnut won, having eaten 64 hot dogs. In 2009, Chestnut won again with a new record of 68 hot dogs. Kobayashi came in second with 64.5.