Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs

Nathan's Famous began as a small hot dog stand at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York, in 1916. Founded by Nathan Handwerker, an immigrant from Poland, the brand utilized a secret spice recipe developed by his wife, Ida. It eventually grew from a single boardwalk location into a world-renowned fast-food chain and retail brand synonymous with the American Fourth of July traditions.

The retail products, including the famous skinless beef franks found in grocery stores, are produced under a long-term licensing agreement. While Nathan's Famous, Inc. remains the owner of the brand and restaurant systems, the packaged meat products sold at retail are manufactured and distributed by specialty meat processors.

Today, Nathan's Famous is a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ. In terms of retail meat distribution, Smithfield Foods—one of the world's largest pork and beef processors—holds the exclusive hardware to manufacture and sell Nathan's branded hot dog products. Smithfield Foods itself is a subsidiary of the WH Group, a publicly traded company headquartered in Hong Kong, which represents the ultimate corporate ownership of the brand's retail production arm.