Latest news with #Nathan'sFamous
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Joey Chestnut Reveals Where He Stands With Nathan's Months After Shocking Ban
Joey Chestnut is speaking out once again on his shocking ban from the 2024 Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest, a decision that stunned fans and reshaped one of America's most iconic holiday traditions. In an exclusive interview with The Blast, the 16-time champion opened up about the dramatic fallout with Major League Eating (MLE), which occurred after Chestnut partnered with Impossible Foods, the plant-based brand behind a new vegan hot dog. Joey Chestnut Says He Was 'Surprised' Nathan's Took Offense To His Plant-Based Partnership 'I really didn't think my relationship with Impossible would affect anything with Nathan's,' Chestnut admitted. 'It didn't go against any of my previous agreements.' Advertisement Chestnut explained that his collaboration with Impossible was meant to promote Meatless Mondays, encouraging people who occasionally skip meat to explore plant-based alternatives. 'I eat more meat than anybody,' he said with a laugh. 'But even I take a break on Mondays. And sometimes I still want something that tastes like meat, so that's where plant-based comes in.' Despite the partnership having nothing to do with the annual Fourth of July competition directly, MLE took issue with the move, ultimately leading to Chestnut's exclusion from the contest he's headlined for over a decade. 'I was really surprised they took offense to that,' he said. 'It was for Mondays, for people who aren't even eating meat. I still don't know exactly where our relationship stands.' Joey Says He'd Consider Returning To Nathan's, But Doubts They'll Ask / MEGA As for whether he'd ever return to the Coney Island stage if invited back, Chestnut didn't rule it out. Advertisement 'If they came back with similar terms we were talking about last year, I would definitely consider it,' he said. 'I'd work with them to make sure there weren't any conflicts with other sponsors… But honestly, I don't think they want to go down that route. And yeah, it's a bummer. I love that contest.' Though his future with Nathan's remains uncertain, Chestnut continues to dominate the competitive eating scene, and fans haven't seen the last of him yet. Joey Chestnut Keeps Competitive Spirit Alive After Nathan's Ban / MEGA While his absence from the Coney Island stage marked a major shift in the holiday tradition, the reigning eating champ has kept his competitive edge sharp with a full plate of high-profile appearances and new challenges. Advertisement This past Independence Day, Chestnut went head-to-head with U.S. soldiers during the annual 'Pop Goes the Fort' celebration at Fort Bliss, bringing his signature intensity and crowd-pleasing energy to the patriotic showdown. Earlier in the year, he made waves at the Third Annual Siegel's Bagelmania World Bagel Eating Championship in Las Vegas, adding yet another quirky food feat to his growing list of accomplishments. Now, the 16-time Nathan's champion is preparing for his next big challenge: popcorn. Joey Chestnut Teams Up With Rural King For Popcorn World Record Attempt Teaming up with Rural King, Chestnut will attempt to set a new world record by devouring as much popcorn as possible in just eight minutes. The event celebrates the brand's nostalgic tradition of offering free in-store popcorn to customers, this time, with a competitive twist. Advertisement And for those wondering what happens when he's not competing, Joey Chestnut admits he still craves some good Mexican food, a juicy steak, or, if he's been sticking to his diet, a hearty plate of pasta, especially carbonara. "I've learned that I don't have to be married to one food," he told The Blast. The Undisputed King Of Competitive Eating With 55+ World Records And 16 Nathan's Titles / MEGA Joey Chestnut currently holds more than 55 world records in competitive eating, making him the most decorated eater in the sport's history. Chestnut gained national attention in 2007 when he defeated six-time champion Takeru Kobayashi at Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, ending the Japanese competitor's reign and kicking off his own. Advertisement Since then, he's won the contest 16 times, setting and breaking his own records, most notably eating 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes in 2021. But his dominance doesn't stop there. Joey Chestnut's Record-Smashing Feats Prove He's More Than Just The Hot Dog King Chestnut has devoured 182 chicken wings in 30 minutes, 141 hard-boiled eggs in just 8 minutes, and 47 grilled cheese sandwiches in 10 minutes. He's also made waves with non-traditional challenges, like eating 32 servings of popcorn (each weighing 24 ounces) and smashing shrimp cocktail, bratwurst, and taco records. His unmatched ability to consume massive quantities of food across a wide range of categories has cemented his status as a living legend in the world of competitive eating.
Boston Globe
24-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
In the midst of war, an American hot dog icon has found a foothold
'Overall, it's delicious,' Pozniak said after his first bite of the so-called New York hot dog, with mustard, ketchup and sweet pickle relish. 'I usually prefer more classic sauces like Tabasco or the standard ketchup and mayonnaise — that's what I'm used to. This pickle relish surprised me, but in a good way.' Hot dogs are ubiquitous in Ukraine. But for a long time, the market has been dominated by a kind of hot dog encased in a tubular panini and described, for a reason no French person seems to know, as the 'French' dog. The story of how Nathan's dogs — settled in their open, messy buns — found a foothold in the country is in many ways a reflection of how much Ukraine has tilted toward the West in past decades. Advertisement There are now 27 Nathan's Famous outlets in Socar gas stations in Ukraine. Despite the war, as much as possible, the lights have stayed on. Business is not booming, but it is OK. Advertisement A Nathan's Famous hot dog status honoring its Ukrainian and American heritage, in Kyiv. BRENDAN HOFFMAN/NYT More than almost anyone, Oleksiy Dronov, 48, is responsible for bringing Nathan's to Ukraine. The owners of Socar wanted a special kind of hot dog in their stores, which are a far cry from the typical American gas station establishment. (The flagship Socar carries Veuve Clicquot Champagne, aged filet mignon and caviar-flavored potato chips.) Most important, the dog had to be all beef, to meet the Muslim dietary requirements of the corporate headquarters in Azerbaijan. Dronov, who worked on the project for Socar, looked at hot dog chains in Denmark and Germany. One of Dronov's bosses had been to New York and tasted Nathan's Famous, which was founded in 1916 by a Polish immigrant to New York and his wife. 'He was under the legend already,' Dronov explained. In 2019, Dronov sent three emails to a generic Nathan's address on the company website, but the company wasn't interested. Then, he sent another email with a picture of a new billboard near his house advertising hot dogs at KFC. He asked Nathan's: If KFC was entering the market, why aren't you? Eventually, Dronov made contact with Oliver Powers, the vice president of franchise operations at Nathan's, and Socar signed a deal. Nathan's also made big plans for Ukraine: franchises and eventually free-standing Nathan's restaurants. But the timing was not great. Socar opened its first Nathan's Famous outlet during the pandemic, a time of masks and hypersanitariness, things that are terrible for hot dog sales. Then, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Powers was in Florida. He sent a text to Dronov: 'I hope you are OK.' Advertisement Oleksiy Dronov, who helped bring the Nathan's Famous hot dog to Ukraine, pictured in Kyiv on May 9. BRENDAN HOFFMAN/NYT Dronov replied: 'I'm in Kyiv, they're shooting on the outskirts of the city, some small groups are invading and being stopped.' He added, 'I wish I had a gun,' and appended the Ukrainian version of a smiley-face emoji. Powers told him to stay safe. They continued to trade messages throughout the toughest part of the war in Kyiv. On Feb. 28, Powers wrote: 'Are you OK, are you hanging in?' 'Yep, boss,' Dronov said. 'But since today, we can't really sell Nathan's.' Related : Many Socar stations were closed, emptied of gas. Imported products such as hot dog buns were running low. In those early days of the war, Dronov started volunteering, delivering food to older people. On March 4, the same day that Russian forces took over Ukraine's largest nuclear power plant, Dronov messaged Powers. 'Hi, Boss. I have a question,' he wrote. 'Our importer can't make logistics. Can we put on some plastic covers on the Nathan's light boxes and temporary switch back to local sausages available? In order to feed the people?' Powers, normally more of a stickler for Nathan's Famous rules, replied: 'Sure. Glad to see you are OK.' Powers is still friends with Dronov and other Ukrainians who helped Nathan's come to Ukraine. In an interview, he reflected on his experience. 'Everybody says to me, how do you have these relationships internationally with all these people? And you just sell hot dogs?' he said. But he added: 'When you work together, the one thing I've learned, we all have the same problems. We deal with the same issues.' He paused for a second, musing on the war. 'I hope it ends soon,' he said. Advertisement Eventually, Nathan's resumed selling hot dogs, the war became a fact of life and Dronov become a volunteer for the war effort. From a visiting U.S. team, he learned how to perform tactical medicine on the battlefield, and then he learned to teach tactical medicine to Ukrainians. These days, he spends much of his time doing that. Ivan Pozniak, an airline pilot, tried his first Nathan's Famous hot dog alongside his wife Zana Kobelska, on April 23. BRENDAN HOFFMAN/NYT As for Nathan's in Ukraine, gone are the dreams of holding a hot dog eating contest at the flagship store every Fourth of July like the one in Coney Island, which in 2021 featured a man who ate 76 Nathan's Famous hot dogs in 10 minutes. In Ukraine, the government has discouraged big gatherings like that. In 2023, Nathan's in Ukraine tried to celebrate the Fourth of July with an online hot dog eating contest. Only about 30 people entered, though, and the winner ate just five hot dogs in three minutes. For that celebration, the store ordered the hot dog statue, along with a large American flag. Someone put the small Ukrainian and American flags in the hot dog's hands. The statue and the flags have endured, unlike the online hot dog eating contest. At the flagship, most of the workers are women, as the men are away at the front. Ukrainian soldiers sometimes sit at the tables, eating Nathan's hot dogs while in uniform. Pozniak's wife, Zana Kobelska, 37, stops at the flagship whenever she can find an excuse. Before the war, working as a flight attendant, Kobelska said, she had visited the United States maybe 50 times. She said she had liked America all her life. 'But right now, because of the politics of Trump, it's not good, as it's not a democratic way,' she said. Advertisement Kobelska burst into tears and apologized. 'I still think that America is the best partner for Ukraine,' she said. But she said she felt a twinge when she walked past the Nathan's hot dog statue. She wanted to remove the American flag the statue was holding — not to throw it away or do anything bad with it, but just to put it somewhere else. She worried that maybe it did not belong alongside the Ukrainian flag anymore. This article originally appeared in .
New York Times
24-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
In the Midst of War, a Tale of Hot Dogs
The hot dog statue wore tennis shoes and held a Ukrainian flag in its left hand and an American flag in its right. (The hot dog had hands.) Standing outside the flagship store of the Ukrainian gas station chain Socar, the statue displayed a sign advertising 'Nathan's Famous' hot dogs in the same green curlicue script that promotes the chain at its original location in Brooklyn's Coney Island and Nathan's outlets everywhere. On a recent Wednesday afternoon, Ivan Pozniak, a 35-year-old airline pilot, walked past the statue and into the store connected to the gas station. He was about to try his first Nathan's Famous hot dog. 'Overall, it's delicious,' Mr. Pozniak said after his first bite of the so-called New York hot dog, with mustard, ketchup and sweet pickle relish. 'I usually prefer more classic sauces like Tabasco or the standard ketchup and mayonnaise — that's what I'm used to. This pickle relish surprised me, but in a good way.' Hot dogs are ubiquitous in Ukraine. But for a long time the market has been dominated by a kind of hot dog encased in a tubular panini and described, for a reason no French person seems to know, as the 'French' dog. The story of how Nathan's dogs — settled in their open, messy buns — found a foothold in the country is in many ways a reflection of how much Ukraine has tilted toward the West in past decades. There are now 27 Nathan's Famous outlets in Socar gas stations in Ukraine. Despite the war, as much as possible, the lights have stayed on. Business is not booming, but it is OK. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Miami Herald
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Struggling fast-food chain has 2 locations, down from over 800
A one-time mighty and national fast-food chain seems a lot like the famous Monty Python Black Knight. The Knight, who appeared in the iconic "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," downplays his injuries as he gets hacked to pieces. Black Knight: 'Tis but a scratch. Arthur: A scratch? Your arm's off! Black Knight: No, it isn't. Arthur: Well, what's that then? BlackKnight: I've had worse. Arthur: You liar! It continues like this for a while until the Black Knight has lost both his arms and both his legs before telling Arthur,"All right; we'll call it a draw." As Arthur leaves, the Knight is outraged and calls after him. Don't miss the move: SIGN UP for TheStreet's FREE Daily newsletter "Oh, oh, I see, running away then. You yellow bastards! Come back here and take what's coming to you. I'll bite your legs off!" the Knight yells. Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips has had all of its limbs lopped off as the chain which once had over 800 locations has dwindled to three. Despite that, its owners remain hopeful (perhaps irrationally hopeful) of a comeback. Nathan's Famous, the Coney Island hot dog chain known for its 4th of July eating contest, owns the Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips brand and it had a plan for a comeback. "Arthur Treacher's was a major quick-service fried seafood chain founded in Columbus, Oh. that hit its peak in the 1970s with more than 800 locations. The UK-style fish and chips chain was named after British actor, Arthur Treacher, who was known for playing butler roles," Nation's Restaurant News reported. None of that information appears on the seafood brand's website which is basically blank aside from the addresses of the two remaining stores using the brand name. Nathan's tried to bring the brand back as a virtual kitchen in 2021. "We are thrilled to provide operators across the country with the opportunity to add Arthur Treacher's to their portfolio. Nathan's Famous and Arthur Treacher's have a long-standing relationship and we have worked diligently to keep the brand's traditional menu items while also evolving the menu to fit the Nathan's mantra of the 'craveable, memorable and Instagrammable' product that we believe both operators and customers will love," shared Nathan's Vice President James Walker. More Food News: Popular breakfast restaurant chain menu adds deal amid closuresPopular restaurant chain's massive change may anger customersWendy's menu adds fast-fast food take on hot new trend That effort, which included an expanded menu with more focus on shrimp, did not last very long. No statement has been made, but It's probably telling now that Nathan's Famous does not make any mention of the Arthur Treacher's brand on its website. You could argue that Arthur Treacher's is America's second-most famous barely existent seafood fast-food chain behind Long John Silver's. The chain, however, refuses to die and a third location recently opened. The near-dead chain just opened its third restaurant in the Cleveland area, returning to a spot it once had a location in over 30 years ago, After a fire delayed the homecoming, the new shop has opened for business. "We're here now. We're ready to go. Full interior renovation, all new equipment. New hoods, you name it. We didn't spare any expense on the inside of this building. It looks great and can't wait for you guys to see it," said Arthur Treacher's Operations Director Oliver Savander, News 5 Cleveland reported. The chain has not shared any plans for further expansion. Its near-blank website does include the hashtag "#treachyourself." A search for that brings you to the company's Facebook page which offers sporadic posts to the company's 3,100 followers. Related: Struggling national Mexican chain closes locations, gets new life Arthur Treacher's social media presence, however, has been saluting its recent 50% growth in store count. "This Lenten season just got even better. For the first time in a long time you now have THREE opportunities for the best fish & chips in Ohio!" it shared. The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Investing in Nathan's Famous (NASDAQ:NATH) three years ago would have delivered you a 119% gain
The most you can lose on any stock (assuming you don't use leverage) is 100% of your money. But in contrast you can make much more than 100% if the company does well. For instance the Nathan's Famous, Inc. (NASDAQ:NATH) share price is 102% higher than it was three years ago. That sort of return is as solid as granite. It's also good to see the share price up 18% over the last quarter. So let's investigate and see if the longer term performance of the company has been in line with the underlying business' progress. Our free stock report includes 2 warning signs investors should be aware of before investing in Nathan's Famous. Read for free now. While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just underlying business performance. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS). During three years of share price growth, Nathan's Famous achieved compound earnings per share growth of 21% per year. In comparison, the 26% per year gain in the share price outpaces the EPS growth. This indicates that the market is feeling more optimistic on the stock, after the last few years of progress. That's not necessarily surprising considering the three-year track record of earnings growth. The image below shows how EPS has tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail). It's probably worth noting that the CEO is paid less than the median at similar sized companies. It's always worth keeping an eye on CEO pay, but a more important question is whether the company will grow earnings throughout the years. Dive deeper into the earnings by checking this interactive graph of Nathan's Famous' earnings, revenue and cash flow. It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. As it happens, Nathan's Famous' TSR for the last 3 years was 119%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence! It's nice to see that Nathan's Famous shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 51% over the last year. Of course, that includes the dividend. That's better than the annualised return of 15% over half a decade, implying that the company is doing better recently. Someone with an optimistic perspective could view the recent improvement in TSR as indicating that the business itself is getting better with time. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Nathan's Famous . If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of companies that have proven they can grow earnings. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on American exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Sign in to access your portfolio
