Many Americans eat hot dogs on July 4th. Let’s look at where this popular food came from.
Hot dogs are very American. You can find them at baseball games, cookouts, and stores all over the country. They became popular after the Civil War in the 1860s, as the country was coming together again. While hot dogs are eaten everywhere in America, they’re most famous in New York City, especially at Coney Island.
It was very hot in New York City. I took the subway to Coney Island beach in Brooklyn to cool off. Coney Island is a fun place with rides, games, and food stands. It’s been popular with New Yorkers for over 100 years.
At the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues, I saw a long line of people. They were waiting at a place called “Nathan’s Famous”. The signs said they’ve been selling famous hot dogs since 1916.
Near Nathan’s, I saw another shop. It was next to the Cyclone roller coaster. The sign said “Feltman’s of Coney Island: The original hot dog – 1867.”
I thought Nathan’s was the only famous hot dog place in Coney Island. But it turns out they weren’t the first. Michael Quinn, who knows a lot about Coney Island history, says a German man named Charles L Feltman started selling hot dogs there long before Nathan’s opened.
Charles Feltman came to America from Germany in 1856. He liked German sausages called frankfurters. Feltman opened a bakery in Brooklyn in 1865. He delivered pies to Coney Island and also sold clams.
In the late 1860s, more people started coming to Coney Island by train. They told Feltman they wanted hot food instead of cold clams. So in 1867, Feltman had someone change his cart. They added a grill for cooking sausages and a box for warming bread.
Feltman’s American beachside take on the German beer-garden speciality proved to be a sizzling success
In the summer of 1867, after the Civil War, Feltman sold about 4,000 sausages in buns on Coney Island. He called them “Coney Island red hots” and sold them for 5 cents each. The bun made the sausage easy to eat at the beach. This new way of serving sausages became very popular.
In 1871, Feltman opened a restaurant called Feltman’s Ocean Pavilion. His business grew a lot. By 1900, Feltman owned many things on Coney Island:
- Nine restaurants
- A roller coaster
- A carousel
- A ballroom
- An outdoor movie theater
- A hotel
- A beer garden
- A bathhouse
- A pavilion
- An Alpine village
Even President William Howard Taft visited Feltman’s.
Feltman’s business became very big. He even got the railroad to run trains later so people could stay for dinner at his restaurant.
At its busiest, Feltman’s sold up to 40,000 hot dogs a day. They also served seafood dinners in their nicer restaurants.
Feltman died rich in 1910. His sons Charles and Alfred took over the business.
In the early 1900s, Feltman’s hired a Polish man named Nathan Handwerker to cut bread. Nathan saved money and got help from friends. In 1916, he opened his own hot dog shop near Feltman’s. Nathan sold his hot dogs for 5 cents, while Feltman’s cost 10 cents.
Feltman’s had hard times during the Great Depression and World War Two. The family sold the business in the 1940s. The new owners tried to keep it going, but closed it in 1954.
After that, Nathan’s was the only famous hot dog place left in Coney Island. People who liked Feltman’s bigger hot dogs were sad they couldn’t get them anymore.
Quinn’s grandfather liked Feltman’s hot dogs better than Nathan’s. He told Quinn stories about them. As an adult, Quinn wanted to bring back Feltman’s hot dogs.
Quinn and his brothers grew up near Coney Island. They wanted to start a business together. Sadly, Quinn’s brother Jimmy died on 9/11. Quinn and his other brother Joe decided to bring back Feltman’s to honor Jimmy.
Quinn’s grandfather had a friend who knew the secret recipe for Feltman’s hot dogs. He gave it to Quinn. In 2015, Quinn bought the rights to use Feltman’s name. He opened a small shop in the East Village. In May 2017, he opened a Feltman’s shop in the same spot as the original one in Coney Island.
It’s likely to be the best hot dog you’ll ever eat in your life
I tried a Feltman’s hot dog. It was very good. It’s made from good beef with spices and no extras. Quinn added sauerkraut and his special mustard.
Feltman’s hot dogs have become famous again:
- They’re named one of the 10 best hot dogs in America.
- Some say it might be the best hot dog you’ll ever eat.
- They made the world’s biggest hot dog: 75 pounds and 5 feet long.
Even during the coronavirus, when people can’t go to baseball games or have picnics, Feltman’s is doing well:
- Sales in stores have doubled.
- Online sales have tripled.
Nathan’s has grown into a big company:
- They sell hot dogs in over 55,000 stores and restaurants
- They’re in more than 10 countries
Nathan’s is famous for its hot dog eating contest on July 4th:
- It’s been happening since 1972
- It’s shown on TV across America
Nathan’s makes over $40 million a year, which is more than Feltman’s. But that doesn’t mean Nathan’s tastes better.
Final Thoughts
Takeru Kobayashi, a famous eating contest winner, likes Feltman’s better. He won Nathan’s contest six times in a row, so he knows a lot about hot dogs.
You can try both:
- Look for Feltman’s in grocery stores
- Nathan’s is sold in many places around the world
Try them both and see which one you like best. And thats all you need to know about hot dogs.