Current Date: 05 Nov, 2026
{{entry.title}}

Nathan's Famous Doctor Stunt

When Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs first opened in 1916, the owner hired people to dress as doctors and eat hot dogs outside his shop, to convince people his hot dogs were healthy.

The famous boardwalk restaurant Nathan’s Famous, which serves everything from burgers to frog legs (really), is a must-visit during any summertime trip to Coney Island. It gained notoriety in 1916 for serving amazing hot dogs at low prices.

Nathans Famous Doctor Stunt 1
Nathan’s Famous in the 1910s or 1920s. Photo Credit: ephemeralnewyork

However, Nathan Handwerker, a Polish immigrant who started selling five-cent frankfurters from a stand on the incomplete boardwalk, would not have become popular if he hadn’t devised a cunning ruse to persuade the people gathered on Surf Avenue to sample his hot dogs.

Nathans Famous Doctor Stunt 2
Nathan’s in 1936, with a little competition by Nedick’s on the corner. Photo Credit: ephemeralnewyork

The story begins in the 1910s, when Charles Feltman, who owned a prosperous restaurant and beer garden and is credited with inventing the hot dog (or hot dog bun, more precisely), was the undisputed hot dog king of Coney Island.

Afterwards, Handwerker decided to go into business for himself with a friend after working for Feltman as a roll cutter and then a hot dog seller, according to William Handwerker, Nathan’s grandson, who co-wrote Nathan’s Famous: An Unauthorized View of America’s Favorite Frankfurter Company.

Nathans Famous Doctor Stunt 3
Nathan’s expanded its menu by 1939. Photo Credit: ephemeralnewyork

The cost of each frank at Feltman’s and other hot dog stands was ten cents. Handwerker set his price at the same level, but soon found he was losing money on sales. He then reduced the cost to one nickel.

Offering hot dogs for as much as a subway ride seems like a wise business decision. Nevertheless, Larry McShane noted in a 2016 New York Daily News piece commemorating Nathan’s centennial that there was much worry at the time that a hot dog so inexpensive couldn’t be made out of beef or pork but rather something far less enticing, like horses.

Nathans Famous Doctor Stunt 4
A Nathan’s customer in 1939. Photo Credit: ephemeralnewyork

Related Topic You Might Find Interesting:

Handwerker had a brilliant idea in anticipation of the public’s worry: he would hire men to dress in white doctor coats and have them hang around his stand eating the inexpensive franks.

William Handwerker claimed that Handwerker “taken some medical staff’ coats and stethoscopes and put them on some men and had them eat franks in front of his stand.” “If it’s good enough for doctors, it has to be good enough for us,” potential customers said.

Nathans Famous Doctor Stunt 5
Juicy hot dogs…and an amazing neon boardwalk sign! Photo Credit: ephemeralnewyork

Sales rose, and Handwerker started drawing enthusiastic customers. William Handwerker claims that his little frankfurter stand had no name for the first two years and was headed toward becoming a Coney Island staple.

Similar Stories
Quaker Oats Fed Children with Radioactive Oatmeal

Quaker Oats Fed Children with Radioactive Oatmeal

In the 1940s and 1950s, Quaker Oats and MIT conducted experiments on radioactive iron and calcium-containing cereal. The diet was part of a study to see if the nutrients in Quaker oatmeal traveled throughout the body. In January 1998, a $1.85 million settlement was reached for 30 victims who came forward.

A Brief History of the PlayStation Gaming Console

A Brief History of the PlayStation Gaming Console

Sony's PlayStation was never meant to be an actual product. Instead, it was intended to be a CD-ROM console that would support Nintendo games. However, when Nintendo backed out of the deal at the last minute, Sony went ahead and launched what soon became one of the most successful gaming consoles of all time.

Poto And Cabengo: The Secret Language Of Twins

Poto And Cabengo: The Secret Language Of Twins

Poto and Cabengo, as the two girls called each other, communicated in their own language. The twins were ignored by their parents and secluded from the outside world because their father felt they were developmentally retarded, and their unique language evolved as a result of that neglect.

8 Interesting Facts About The Unsinkable Ship, TITANIC

8 Interesting Facts About The Unsinkable Ship, TITANIC

If you ask your friends what's the most famous ship in history the answer in most cases will be the same, of course the legendary Titanic. Its history is full of mysteries, at first it was a source of hope and national pride as well as proof of the triumphs of mankind but it soon became a source of nostalgia and pain, the extent of which cannot be described in words.

George Dantzig solved two famous “unsolved” problems in statistics mistakenly as assignment

George Dantzig solved two famous “unsolved” problems in statistics mistakenly as assignment

In 1939, George Dantzig arrived late to his statistics class. On the board were two famous “unsolved” problems in statistics written as an example by his professor. Dantzig mistook the examples for homework assignments. He solved the “unsolved” problems and submitted the homework to his professor a few days later. His solutions earned him a doctorate.

Before Radar: How Giant Acoustic Mirrors Detected Enemy Aircraft in WWI and WWII

Before Radar: How Giant Acoustic Mirrors Detected Enemy Aircraft in WWI and WWII

Long before radar revolutionized air defense, enormous acoustic mirrors and specialized sound locators stood as the first line of defense against enemy aircraft. Designed as giant “ears,” these structures amplified distant engine noises, allowing operators to detect incoming planes by sound alone. Dive into the intriguing world of these pioneering listening devices, their operation, limitations, and enduring legacy in military history.

10 world’s most destructive and dangerous volcanic eruptions in history

10 world’s most destructive and dangerous volcanic eruptions in history

Volcanic eruptions can devastate cities, change the world's atmosphere, and devastate economic systems. They can create molten lava rivers, mudslides, suffocating ash, and poisonous gases that cause chaos around the world for years. A volcanic explosion's effects can be massive, from its size to its death toll to its economic cost. Here is ten world’s most destructive and dangerous volcanic eruptions in history.

Ea-Nasir: world's oldest written customer complaint

Ea-Nasir: world's oldest written customer complaint

This clay tablet, written in cuneiform, is the oldest known written customer complaint about the delivery of poor quality copper ingots. Originally from ancient Babylon, the tablet dates back to 1750 BCE, and it was written by a customer named Nanni to a merchant named Ea-Nasir. It is currently housed in the British Museum.