Whether you went there for the world's greatest hot dog, the world's greatest fries, or the infamous chow mein sandwich, Nathan's in itself was an experience. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, there was something you loved at Nathan's!
Nathan Handwerker was born on June 14, 1892. He traveled to Belgium from Poland at the age of eighteen and two years later he stepped foot on American soil. He washed dishes and later worked the counter at Max's Busy Bee in Manhattan. He started to work weekends at Feltman's; splitting rolls and making deleiveries for the famous restaruant. Although Feltman "invented" the hot dog, Handwerker brought it to the masses. Even today you can still see deep lines at the windows to Nathan's on a sunny summer day.
Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs started out in 1916 as a nickel hot dog stand on the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues. Handwerker borrowed $300 from his friends Jimmy Durante and Eddie Cantor to open his stand. Now a Coney Island staple, hot dogs at Nathan's are what some people come to Coney Island for every year. A Nathan's hot dog in hand is an almost-mandatory boardwalk accessory. The side orders include delicious crispy, crinkle-cut fries, and fresh corn on the cob.
Nathan installed signs that "shrieked like fire-engine sirens." He sold the hot dogs at five cents a-piece, used a twelve-foot grill and put a hint of garlic in his sausages. Unlike today, many of the passers-by were weary of anyplace that would sell its food at half the price found at Feltman's, it certainly wasn't the Coney tradition. So, many passed by Nathan's stand for the restaurants further down Surf Avenue. Using the island's spirit for inspiration, Handwerker hired homeless bums to stand around the counter, and paid them in hot dogs in order to give the impression he was busy. The crowds, seeing only unkempt patrons, still stayed away. Nathan then took the concept to the next level and offered the nurses and doctors from Coney island Hospital free meals....as long as they wore their medical garb while eating. The new sign above the establishment proclaimed, "If doctors eat our hot dogs, you know they're good!"
The Stillwell Avenue subway station opened in the 1920's and Nathan's benefited from its position directly across Surf Avenue. Crowds flocked to the new "Nickel Empire" of Coney and the simple stand grew into a full-scale service center with dozens of cashiers and long lines. Author Joseph Heller said, "On every occasion when I go back to Coney Island the first place I go is Nathan's and often the last place is Nathan's for another bag of potatoes." In 1939, the island celebrated one of its most famous residents by having National Hot Dog Day. One speaker said, "It is difficult to measure the contribution the hot dog has made to the fame and popularity of this great resort."
Although times have changed the fact remains that Nathan's offers some great food. From its seafood to lemonade to the classic hot dog the large stand at Surf & Stillwell Avenues still sells over one million hot dogs each year. It is open all year and around the clock so customers can visit even when there is seemingly no one else at Coney. With the addition of the Brooklyn Cyclones minor league team in the summer of 2001 more customers, and a new generation of patrons, are discovering Coney Island and its famous hot dogs. Through it all Nathan's is a story of perseverance. Even though the times have changed few things beat stepping off the subway and heading straight for that delicious aroma.
"It was a plethora of great smells- I'm salivating thinking about it. It's what attracted you to. You had to go there to eat!" - Martin Landau
Feeding
NY's Finest!
And Donald Trump Too! 
For the true weiner connoisseur, every Fourth of July is the annual Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. According to oral history, in 1916, four immigrants had a Nathan's hot dog eating contest at the site of the first Nathan's Famous in Coney Island to settle an argument about who was the most patriotic, though it may have been a publicity stunt. After 12 minutes, Irish-born Jim Mullen had eaten 13 hot dogs and the other three contestants could not go on. Ever since, a 12 minute contest has been held every year on July 4th, Independence Day, at the site of Nathan's Famous's first restaurant. The contest used to be held at noon, but starting in 2004 the contest started at 12:40pm. The contest was not held in years 1939, 1940, and 1941 as a protest to World War II, and in 1971 as a protest to civil unrest. In 2004, for the fourth straight year, over 5,000 fans watched 145 pound Takeru Kobayashi stuffed the competition by downing 53.5 hot dogs (and buns) in 12 minutes.
From My Own Personal Collection....
I recently did a very
thorough interior detail of my truck.....and trust me, it was WAY overdue!
I found this little gem buried deep under the seat! The very same
french fry fork is in the photo below taken in July 2000 on my NY trip.
Me Enjoying Some Fries
- July 2001
A Little Bit More Than
A Nickel Now!
And now that you are thoroughly frustrated by reading about and seeing all these delicious memories, don't you want to know if there is a NATHAN'S near YOU? Are you HUNGRY? Maybe there's one that's not that far away!
NATHAN'S FAMOUS LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE USA & THE WORLD
ARIZONA
3400 Sky Harbor Blvd
Terminal 3
Phoenix Airport (SW)
(602) 275-1721
Arizona Mills Mall
5000 Arizona Mills Circle
Food Court
Tempe
(480) 752-0927
CALIFORNIA
LA Kosher
9216 West Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles
(310) 273-0303
San Diego International Airport
Host Marriott Corp
West Terminal, Area W4
3665 North Harbor Drive
San Diego
(619) 231-5100
Victoria Garden Mall
12434 North Mainstreet
Suite 122
Rancho Cucamonga
(909) 463-1658
CONNECTICUT
Danbury Fair Mall
Space B215
7 Backus Avenue
Danbury
(203) 743-4940
1 A Main Street
East Hartford
(860) 895-9583
Connecticut Post Mall
1201 Boston Post Road
Store: 40-14
Milford
203-877-6767
Trumbull Mall
5065 Main Street
Suite #40-14
Trumbull
(203) 371-8500
BrassMill Center
495 Union Street
Space 2208
Waterbury
(203)754-0456
DELAWARE
Delaware House
530 JFK Memorial Hwy
Newark
(302) 731-8599
FLORIDA
Boca Village Square
21210 St. Andrews Blvd.
Boca Raton
(561) 347-0774
141 1/2 N Congress Ave
Boynton Beach
(561)369-7833
3801 Turtle Creek Drive
Coral Springs
954-227-6644
Ft. Lauderdale Int'l Airport
1400 Lee Wagner Blvd
Terminal 4, Concourse H
Fort Lauderdale
(954) 359-1500
36205 US Highway 27
Haines City
863-421-5919
9300 NW 77 Avenue
Hialeah Gardens
305-556-6638
200 State Road 60 East
Lake Wales, FL 33853
863-676-3611
15885 SW 88th Street
Miami
(305) 380-1086
Miami International Airport
E Concourse Extension
Miami
(305) 876-0860
1800 University Drive
Miramar, FL 33025
Fort Drum Travel Plaza
Mile Marker: 184
Florida Turnpike
Okechobee
(941) 763-4302
2400 Veterans Memorial Highway
Orange City
(386) 775-9950
Orlando International Airport
Landside Terminal
9333 Airport Blvd
Orlando
407-851-1334
Orlando International Airport
9333 Airport Blvd.
Delta Terminal
Orlando
(407) 851-1334
11401 Pines Blvd.
Food Court
Pembroke Pines Mall
Pembroke
(954) 433-9811
5006 Broward Mall
Food Court
Plantation, FL 33388
(954) 473-1559
West Palm Beach-Travel Plaza
Mile Marker 65
Florida Turnpike
Royal Palm Beach
(561) 968-5564
Sawgrass Mall
12801 West Sunrise Blvd.
Food Court
Sunrise
(954) 846-1394
Tampa International Airport
Terminal A
Tampa
(813) 396-3977
GEORGIA
Hartsfeild-Atlanta Int'l Aiport
Concourse D
Gate 21
Atlanta
(404) 209-0907
Atlanta Zoo
800 Cherokee Avenue SE
Atlanta
Hartsfield-Atlanta Int'l Airport
Concourse B
Gate 27
Atlanta
(404) 766-2444
Hartsfield-Atlanta Int'l Airport
Concourse T
Between gates 6 & 7
Atlanta
(404) 765-0450
Lenox Square Mall
3393 Peachtree Road
Atlanta, GA 30326
(404) 812-0007
KENTUCKY
Showcase Cinemas
2745 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy
Louisville
(502)499-6658
Showcase Cinemas
9700 Preston Crossing Blvd
Okolona
(502)961-9700
MARYLAND
Baltimore Washington
International Airport
Pier C
Baltimore
(410) 859-8352
MASSACHUSETTS
14 Cinema Deluxe
70 Provielence
Worcester Highway
Millbury
508-581-9546
Showcase Multiplex Cinemas
73 Mazzeo Drive
Randolph
(781) 963-7330
Showcase Multiplex Cinemas
565 Squire Road
Revere
(781) 284-5700
Showcase Multiplex Cinemas
864 Riverdale Street
W. Springfield
(413) 733-8311
MICHIGAN
Showcase Cinemas
4100 Carpenter Rd
Ypsilanti
Enter Phone Here
MINNESOTA
Minneapolis St. Paul Airport
St. Paul
612-726-5360
MISSOURI
Savvis Center Mezzanine
1401 Clark Ave., 4th Floor
St Louis
(314) 662-5471
Savvis Center Southside
1401 Clark Ave., 1st Floor
St. Louis
(314) 662-5471
Savvis Center Northside
1401 Clark Ave., 1st Floor
St. Louis
(314) 662-5471
NEVADA
Fashion Show Mall
Space 3155
3200 Las Vegas Blvd, South
Las Vegas, NV 89109
Monte Carlo Hotel and Casino
3370 Las Vegas Blvd, South
Las Vegas
(702) 597-0701
Las Vegas Convention Center
3150 Paradise Road
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 943-6804
Luxor Hotel and Casino
Food Court
3950 Las Vegas Boulevard
Las Vegas
(702) 597-3377
New York, New York Hotel and Casino
3790 South Las Vegas Blvd.
Las Vegas
(702) 597-9114
MGM Grand Food Court
3799 Las Vegas Blvd., South
Las Vegas
(702) 597-0131
Venetian Resort and Casino
3555 Las Vegas Blvd, South
Space 2258
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-693-6212
NEW JERSEY
Atlantic City Boardwalk
3007 Boardwalk
Atlantic City
Bloomfield College
467 Franklin Street
Bloomfield
(973) 748-9000 x353
Bridgewater Commons
Food Court
400 Commons Way
Bridgewater
(732) 526-4115
Quick Mart Convenience
375 Route 46 East
BuddLake
(973) 426-9511
Walt Whitman Travel Plaza
Kresson - HoJo Road
Cherry Hill
(609) 429-9323
Molly Pitcher Travel Plaza
New Jersey Turnpike-Exit 7A
Cranberry
(609) 655-4330
Brunswick Square Mall
755 Route 18
East Brunswick
Monmouth Mall
Food Court
Route 36 and Route 35
Eaton Town
(732) 935-1237
Multiplex Cinemas
339 River Road
Edgewater
201-943-4257
346 Menlo Park Mall
Food Court
Edison
(732) 906-1436
(732) 906-1318
Jersey Gardens Mall
1000 Kapawoski Road
Elizabeth
(908) 282-4809
Loews Theatre - Jersey Gardens
651 Kapowski Road
Elizabeth, NJ 07201
Raceway Mall
3710 Route 9
Suite: 2214
Freehold
(732) 431-8550
Six Flags, Great Adventure
Route 537
PO Box 120
Jackson, 08527
Newport Centre Mall
30-319 Mall Drive West
Third Floor, Food Court
Jersey City
(201) 626-5505
Amoco Station
362 Tonnele Avenue
Jersey City
(201) 217-0632
Lacey Mall
344 No. Main St.
Lanoka Harbor
(609)-242-6842
110 Livingston Mall
Food Court
Livingston
(973) 992-3655
Fairleigh Dickenson University
285 Madison Avenue
Madison
(973) 443-8472
Montvale travel Plaza
Garden State Parkway
Mile Post 172
Montvale
(201) 391-8509
Moorestown Mall
Food Court
Route 38 and Lenola Road
Moorestown
(609) 231-1318
Newark Airport Terminal A
Newark
(973) 961-3316
Newark International Airport
Terminal "C"
Newark
(973) 623-2211, Ext. 242
2035 Paramus Park
Food Court
Paramus
(201) 261-4439
Garden State Plaza
The Food Court
Routes 4 and 17
Paramus
(201) 845-6266
Bergen Mall
Paramus
(201) 845-8005
John Fenwick Travel Plaza
New Jersey Turnpike North
Mile Post 60
Pennsgrove
(609) 299-3607
Vince Lombardi Travel Plaza
New Jersey Turnpike - Exit 17
Ridgefield
(201) 943-1171
Rockaway Mall
Route 80
Food Court
Rockaway
(973) 361-6012
Cheesequake Travel Plaza
Garden State Parkway
Mile Post: 124
South Amboy
(732) 525-0306
Seton Hall University
400 South Orange Avenue
South Orange
(973) 762-9559
Ocean County Mall
1201Hooper Avenue
Toms River
(732) 914-1440
Woodrow Wilson Travel Plaza
PO Box 8006
New Jersey Turnpike
Trenton
Richard Stockton Travel Plaza
200 Uncle Pete's Road
Trenton
609-585-1155
Willowbrook Mall/ Food Court
Route 46 & 23
Wayne
(973) 256-9683
TCBY
310 Highway 36
West Long Branch
(732) 935-0333
Grover Cleveland Travel Plaza
New Jersey Turnpike
Mile Post 92.9 North
Woodbridge
(732) 634-2923
Woodbridge Center Mall
101 Woodbridge Center Drive
Space 101
Route 1 & 9
Woodbridge
(732) 750-2240
NEW YORK
Colonie Center Mall
Wolf Road and Central Ave
Albany
(518) 453-9032
Southshore Mall
Food Court
1701 Sunrise Highway
Bay Shore
(631) 969-0809
61-13 Springfield Boulevard
Bayside
(718) 229-1118
569 Myrtle Avenue
Brooklyn
(718) 783-3744
243 Livingston Avenue
Brooklyn
718-788-7888
Multiplex Cinemas
2784 Linden Blvd
Brooklyn
(718) 277-7841
THE ORIGINAL!!
1310 Surf Avenue THE
ORIGINAL!!
Coney Island, Brooklyn
718-946-2202
Associated Supermarket
1291 Broadway
Brooklyn
(718) 443-7913
5424 Flatbush Avenue
Brooklyn
718-692-4219
Woodbury Commons
The International Eatery
500 Food Court, Route 32
Central Valley, NY 10917
(845) 928-4934
Ralph's/Nathan's
314 Commack Road
Commack
631-872-8676
1670 Deer Park Avenue
Deer Park
(516) 242-8175
Queens Center Mall
90-15 Queens Blvd.
Elmhurst, 11373
(718) 592-5612
Belmont Race Track
2150 Hempstead Turnpike
Elmont
(718) 322-6790
238-19 Linden Blvd
Elmont, NY 11003
516-285-5550
Multiplex Cinemas
1001 Broadhollow Rd.
Farmingdale
(631) 777-7399
229 Broadhollow Rd.
Farmingdale
516-293-6302
LaGuardia Airport
Delta Flight Center
Flushing
(718) 458-2226
Nassau Community College
1 Education Drive
Garden City
(516) 794-2583
Cinema Delux
185 Morris Avenue
Holtsville
(631) 758-9132
American Airlines Terminal
JFK International Airport
Jamaica
(718) 553-2929
120-10 Queens Boulevard
Kew Gardens
(718) 575-1928
Smith Haven Mall
Food Court
Middle Country Road
Lake Grove
(631) 360-7883
TCBY/Nathan's
630 Portion Road
Lake Ronkonkoma
(631) 467-6520
Loews Theater
Palisades Center
4403 Palisades Center Drive
West Nyack, NY 10994
Long Beach Arena
150 West Bay Drive
Long Beach
(516) 431-6500
Sunrise Mall
1 Sunrise Hwy at Carmans
Space: fc-6
Massapequa
(516) 882-9797
Citgo
6104 Fresh Pond Rd.
Middle Village
Galleria at Crystal Run
1 Galleria Drive
Middletown
(914) 692-5702
Cortland Town Center Mall
3139 E Main Street
Mohegan Lake, NY 10547
914-526-8581
The Nanuet Mall
Food Court
75 West Route 59
Nanuet
(845) 623-4711
3380 Hillside Avenue
New Hyde Park, NY 11040
(516) 739-3080
South Street Seaport
Pier 17, Third Floor
New York
251 East 14th Street
New York
212-979-2585
Jacob Javitz
655 West 34th Street
New York
212-216-2416
Loews Theater - 42nd Street
243-247 42nd Street
New York, NY 10036
212-840-7761
Loews Theatre - Kips Bay
570 Second Avenue
New York, NY 10016
401 Seventh Ave.
New York
(212) 630-0327
22 Court Street
New York
(718) 624-0509
705 8th Avenue
Between 44th & 45th Street
New York
(212) 459-9500
New York
(212) 630-0312
Manhattan Mall
100 West 33rd Street
New York
(212) 244-1730
Palisades Center/Nathan's
36-21 Palisades Center Drive
Food Court
Nyack
(914) 348-9139
3131 Long Beach Rd.
Oceanside
516-766-2345
Aqueduct Race Track
Rockaway Blvd. and 108 St.
Ozone Park
Aqueduct Race Track
110 Rockaway Boulevard
Ozone Park
(718) 322-6790
Plattekill Travel Plaza
New York State Thruway
Between Exit 17 & 18
Plattekill
(914) 564-5160
Port Jeff Bowl
Chereb Lane
Port Jefferson Station
(631) 473-3300
Poughkeepsie Galleria
Space F-105A
790 South Road
Poughkeepsie
914-297-1335
Taco Bell/Nathan’s
346-42 Route 25A
Rocky Point
Ulster Travel Plaza
248 Main Street
Ruby
(914) 336-8129
Rye Playland Amusement Park
Playland Parkway
Rye
(914) 925-1015, Phone
(914) 925-1026, Fax
Grand Stand
Saratoga Race Track
Union Avenue
Saratoga Springs
(518) 587-6012
Saratoga Race Track
Union Avenue - Carousel
Saratoga Springs
(518) 587-6012
545 William Floyd Parkway
Shirley
(631) 395-4887
Staten Island Mall
2655 Richmond Avenue
Staten Island
(718) 370-0433
TCBY/Nathan's
633 Jericho Turnpike
Syosset
516-496-0682
Green Acres Mall
Food Court
2024 Green Acres Mall
Valley Stream
1530 Old Country Road
Westbury
(516) 832-8900
Showcase Cinemas
237 Martine Ave.
White Plains
(914)428-5197
The Galleria at White Plains
Space 234
100 Main Street
White Plains
City Center Cinemas
19 Mamaroneck Avenue
White Plains
(914) 428-5197
Westchester Mall
Food Court
125 Westchester Avenue
White Plains
(914) 682-3126
Westchester County Center
198 Central Avenue
White Plains
(914) 682-2778
Cross County Multiplex
2 South Drive
Yonkers
(914) 376-5016
2290 Central Park Avenue
Yonkers
914-779-1800
NORTH CAROLINA
Charlotte/Douglas Airport
Charlotte
(704) 359-4467
Concord Mills Mall
88111 Concord Mills Mall
Suite 101
Concord
704-979-2309
114 Millstead Drive
Mebane
(919) 563-6541
OHIO
Showcase Multiplex Cinemas
1360 Conant Street
Maumee
(419) 897- 2788
Milford 16 Cinemas
500 Rivers Edge Road
(513)576-9126
Levis Commons
2005 Hollanbeck Drive
Perrysburg
419-874-2154
Showcase Multiplex Cinemas
12064 Springfield Pike
Springdale
(513)671-6917
Franklin Park Cinema 16 Deluxe
5001 Monroe Street
Toledo
(419) 472-2324
Dayton South Cinemas
195 Mall Woods Drive
West Carrolton
(937) 435-3398
PENNSYLVANIA
Pennsylvania Turnpike
Peter J. Camiel Travel Plaza
Westbound 22/23 Interchange
Elverson
Philadelphia Zoo
34oo W. Girard Avenue
Philadelphia
215-243-1100
Franklin Mills Mall
1236 Franklin Mills Circle
Philadelphia
(215) 632-8580
Pennsylvania Turnpike
North Neshaminy Travel Plaza
Between Exit 28 & 29,
Westbound
Trevose
(215) 355-0343
TEXAS
5865 Weber Road
Corpus Christi
(361) 852-8512
VIRGINIA
Showcase Cinemas
11900 Palace Way
Fair fax
(703)378-6550
Leesburg Corner Outlets
241 Fort Evens Rd. NE
Leesburg
(703)799-2040
MacArthur Center Mall
300 Monticello Avenue
Suite 237
Norfolk
(757) 628-9261
INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS
CHINA
Fengmao Street
Dongmen, Renmin North Road
Shenzhen
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Aeropuerto Internacional De La Romana
Casa De Campo
Santo Domingo
(808) 979-7941
EGYPT
36 Abu Bkr El Seddik
Heliopolis
Cairo
JAPAN
1-114-4 Higashi-Nakuharza
Hiratsuka, Kanagawa
Japan
Tres-bian Chiba
2-1-1 Fujimi, Chuo-ku
Chiba, Japan
03-6202-0993
Chigasaki Saty 1F
2-7-71 Chigasaki
Chigasaki, Kanagawa
253-0000, Japan
Ito Yokado
Yasukaido-Shi, Chiba
Japan
Nittele Plaza
Nittele Tower B2, Floor Store
1-6-1 Higashi, Shinbashi
Minato-ku, Tokyo
105-7490
Kichijoji
Honcho 2-3-1
Musashino City,
Tokyo
Ym Square B1F
4-31-10 Jingu-mae
Shibuya, 150-001
Tokyo
Shinjuku Nomura Building B1F
1-26-2 Nishi=3DShinjuku
Shinjuku, Tokyo 163-0590
03-3340-1991
Shinagawa, Kowa Building 1F
Shibuya-ky, Tokyo, Japan
03-62-2-0993
KUWAIT
Camp APOD
Kuwait
Camp Buehring
Kuwait
Hawally Park
Haally Tunis Street
Hawally, Kuwait
Camp Virginia
Kuwait