THE HISTORY of NATHANS FAMOUS at CONEY ISLAND

Everyone has heard of Nathan's Famous even if you're not lucky enough to live in Coney Island, located in Brooklyn, New York.

Nathan's has been a staple in Coney Island since 1916 when Polish immigrants Nathan Handwerker and his wife Ida started a small hot dog stand at the seaside resort. Nathan had originally worked for Charles Feltman who is credited for inventing the hot dog. Nathan worked at Feldman's Restaurant which was also located at the seaside resort.

With encouragement from two singing waiters, Jimmy Durante and Eddie Cantor (both waiters became famous actors), Nathan saved his money and along with his wife Ida opened a stand on the corner of Stillwell and Surf Avenues. It is said that his wife Ida developed a special spice recipe that has made his all beef frankfurter the best is the world. He sold his hot dogs for five cents while his former employer was charging ten cents. Nathan's became an almost instant success and soon saw repeating customers from the famous to the infamous; i.e., Cary Grant who had also worked in Coney Island as a stilt walker in Steeplechase Park before he became famous; Jimmy Durante and Eddie Cantor remained loyal to Nathan's after their success. Al Capone was another regular patron. Everyone from politicians to movie stars to athletes wanted and loved Nathan's hot dogs. In the early 1920's the masses that flocked to the seaside resort were deposited at the doorstep of Nathan's by the then five cent subway. Sooner than Nathan could blink he was serving thousands of his hot dogs. It is said that he served more than 75,000 hot dogs every weekend along with milkshakes, coke a cola and root beer. Today they serve well over 3 million a year.

The Handwerker family still owns the building that the original Nathan's is still housed in, but sold Nathan's in 1987; it was then franchised. Nathans restaurants have opened up cross country with much success but in this writers opinion the hot dogs at franchised Nathan's found in malls just don't measure up the hot dogs from the original site. To this Nathan's fan no hot dog taste better than a Nathan's hot dog from the original site in Coney Island; there is just something about the sand and salt air that makes it taste better.

Hot dogs go by many names: frankfurters, wieners, weenies, red hots and snappers. Call it what you will but until you've had a Nathan's frank you haven't had a hot dog!