NATHAN’S FAMOUS HOT DOG EATING CONTEST
QUALIFYING CIRCUIT VISITS BEREA ON MAY 27th
Local Hot Dog-Eating Champ to Win Trip
to Annual July 4th Championship in Coney Island
________
JERICHO, N.Y., (May x, 2023) – Nathan’s Famous will host the second qualifying event for its annual Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest at 4 P.M. on Saturday, May 27, 2023. The event, presented in partnership with Giant Eagle, will take place during Berea’s National Rib Cook-Off & Beer Fest on Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds, located at 164 Eastland Rd, Berea, Ohio.
The top male and female finishers in the event will qualify for the famed Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, Brooklyn, on July 4th, 2023, where they will compete against a roster of the top-ranked competitive eaters from nations around the world, including Japan, Australia, England and Brazil.
“Independence Day is uniquely American, but Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest is a global sporting phenomenon,” said Phil McCann, Vice President of Marketing of Nathan’s Famous. “Some of the most accomplished eaters in the world will compete at this event, but we also are seeking new talent in Berea to represent our nation on the most patriotic day of the year.”
Joey Chestnut of Westfield, Indiana, earned his 15th title as hot dog-eating world champion in 2022, and he currently holds the world record of 76 hot dogs and buns eaten in 10 minutes. Miki Sudo of Port Richey, Florida, will defend her title, and is the eight-time female champion. Sudo consumed 40 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes in 2022 and her all-time best is 48.5 Nathan’s Famous hot dogs and buns eaten in 10 minutes.
Prior to the Berea qualifier, Nathan’s Famous, Smithfield Foods and Giant Eagle will donate $5,000 to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank to continue to support the local community. In total, $20,000 will be donated to food banks around the nation while Nathan’s will donate 100,000 hot dogs to the Food Bank of New York on July 4.
“We are beyond grateful to Nathan’s for this monetary donation to provide much needed food that will help meet the hunger needs of many in the Greater Cleveland community,” said Kristin Warzocha, President & CEO for the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. “Thanks to you, this donation will help provide 15,000 meals that our partner agencies will serve to hungry people in Northeast Ohio.”
Nathan’s Famous qualifying events will visit cities around the country in 2023, including Pleasanton, CA, Jacksonville, FL, Dayton, OH, Cincinnati, OH, and Washington, DC. An estimated 35,000 fans travel to the corner of Surf and Stillwell avenues in Coney Island each year to watch the contest in person. The ESPN live telecast of the event has consistently attracted millions of viewers annually since it was first aired in 2004.
According to archives, the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest has occurred each July 4th in Coney Island since 1916, the year Nathan Handwerker opened the beloved restaurant. MLE, the governing body of all stomach-centric sports, sanctions the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog-Eating Circuit and ensures the contests are judged professionally and that safety standards are in place at each event.
About Nathan’s Famous
Nathan’s is a Russell 2000 Company that currently distributes its products in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and 19 foreign countries through its restaurant system, foodservice sales programs and product licensing activities. For additional information about Nathan’s, please visit our website at www.nathansfamous.com.
About Major League Eating
Major League Eating (MLE), the world governing body of all stomach-centric sports, conducts more than 80 events annually, including the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest in Coney Island, N.Y. The competitive eating community is made up of more than 8,000 veteran and rookie gurgitators who travel the nation in search of top titles and the glory that they provide. For more information, visit www.majorleagueeating.com, www.facebook.com/eatfast or Instagram / Twitter: @eatingcontest.
About Smithfield Foods, Inc.
Headquartered in Smithfield, Virginia, since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is a U.S. food company that employs nearly 60,000 people in seven countries and partners with thousands of American farmers. As one of the world’s leading vertically integrated protein companies, we are dedicated to producing “Good food. Responsibly.®” to feed a growing world population. We have pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including our industry-leading commitments to become carbon negative in our U.S. company-owned operations and reduce GHG emissions 30% across our entire U.S. value chain by 2030. We believe in the power of protein to end food insecurity and have donated hundreds of millions of food servings to food banks, disaster relief efforts and community outreach programs in all 50 U.S. states. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield®, Eckrich®, Gwaltney® and Nathan’s Famous®, among many others. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
About The Greater Cleveland Food Bank
The Greater Cleveland Food Bank is the largest hunger relief organization in Northeast Ohio having provided 49 million meals in 2022 to nearly 350,000 hungry people in Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake, Ashland and Richland counties. Our mission is working together to ensure that everyone in our communities has the nutritious food they need every day. The Food Bank continues to provide nutritious food to those in need while working to end hunger tomorrow through connecting clients to resources. For more information go to greaterclevelandfoodbank.org.
