268. Nathan’s Famous

Sep 28, 2025
Sep 28, 2025 Updated Jan 16, 2026

Last Year Rank: 289
Investment Range: $554,350 - $2,032,610
Initial Investment: $30,000
Category: Restaurant

Company Description

In 1916, Polish immigrant Nathan Handwerker started a hotdog stand on Coney Island, selling dogs for a nickel apiece using his wife's secret spice recipe. In 2016, its 100th anniversary, Nathan's matched that original price in the original location, and announced it sold 500 million hot dogs the year before. Every year on July 4th, Nathan's hosts a hotdog eating contest, broadcast by ESPN, with tens of thousands of viewers.

Company Statistics

Global Sales: $148,182,000
US Units: 214
International Units: 16
Total Units: 230
Percent Franchised: 98%
% International Units: 7%
US Franchised Units: 210
International Franchised Units: 16
Sales Growth %: 6.9%
Unit Growth %: -1.7%

Sponsored information provided by the franchisor

NEW YORK IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA, which is why - after over 100 years as one of New York’s most famous restaurant brands - anyone can walk into a Nathan’s Famous Restaurant anywhere in the world and experience the best of the New York Casual Food scene. Universally regarded as the “Flavor of New York”, Nathan’s Famous’ menu focuses on four food pillars: World-Famous Hot Dogs & Fries; Premium Subs, including Angus Ribeye New York Cheesesteaks; Best-in-class, cooked-to-order burger with our proprietary Best Burger Pledge™ , and Hand-Breaded Chicken and Onion Rings.

Our restaurant system includes over 250 restaurants worldwide, with adaptable, locally sourced menus and prototypes. Nathan’s Famous branded products are currently distributed globally, including packaged hot dogs, hamburgers, french fries, onion rings and more. Our world-famous hot dogs are served in a multitude of outlets, including movie theatres, bowling centers, cruise ships, and casinos. And with more than 28 billion views worldwide of our cult-favorite Hot Dog Eating contest last Fourth of July, Nathan’s Famous’ claim to the cuisine and culture of New York isn’t just authentic, it’s proprietary.