EMPIRE STATE BUILDING HOSTS OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN CEREMONY FOR NATHAN’S FAMOUS FOURTH OF JULY INTERNATIONAL HOT DOG-EATING CONTEST

The Empire State Building today for the first time ever hosted the official weigh-in ceremony for the 2018 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest, which will take place in Coney Island from 11 am to 1 pm on Wednesday, July 4, 2018.  

Top eating champions were weighed-in and certified for competition at the iconic New York City landmark -- the “World’s Most Famous Building” -- with a ceremonial stare down on the 86th floor observatory overlooking the city. The annual hot dog-eating contest, an American holiday tradition, will be held at Nathan’s Famous flagship restaurant at the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues in Brooklyn, NY. 

Pre-show festivities will begin at 10:00 am with performances by a variety of musical and dance acts. The women’s competition begins at 11:00 am, and the men’s competition will start at 12:30 pm. Some 30,000 fans are expected to attend. 

Last year, Joey Chestnut of San Jose, CA, held on to his championship title fending off new arch-rival Carmen Cincotti, of Newark, NJ, by consuming 72 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. Chestnut’s all-time best is a world record 73 Nathan’s Famous hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. Many believe Cincotti will beat 10-time champion Chestnut this year.  

In the women's competition, Miki Sudo of Las Vegas, NV, took first place last year, marking her fourth consecutive win by eating 41 hot dogs and buns, 11 more than former champion and world record holder Sonya Thomas. Michelle Lesco of Tucson, AZ, came in second, with 31 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. Sonya Thomas holds the Women’s world record with 45 Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs and Buns in 10 minutes.  

To earn a seat at the table on July 4, male and female eaters must win one of 19 qualifying events held across the nation in the lead-up to July 4. A total of 21 men and a total of 19 women are expected to compete on July 4. The men’s and women’s contests each offer $20,000 in cash prizes. 

Thousands make the pilgrimage to Surf and Stillwell Avenues in Coney Island each year to watch the event in person. The ESPN telecast of the event routinely draws an audience of millions of viewers. As part of the event, Nathan’s Famous makes a donation of 100,000 Nathan’s Famous hot dogs to Food Bank for New York City. Coney Island Brewery is official beer sponsor of the event. 

ESPN has exclusive live broadcast rights from 10:50 am ET to the conclusion of the event, expected to be at 1:05 pm ET. The women’s competition coverage will begin at 10:50 am ET and will be telecast live on ESPN3. The men’s competition coverage will begin at 12:00 pm ET and will be telecast live on ESPN2. It will re-air on ESPN2 at 4:00pm ET and 7:30pm ET.  

According to Major League Eating archives, the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest has occurred each July 4th in Coney Island, NY, since 1916, the year Nathan Handwerker opened the legendary restaurant. MLE, the governing body of all stomach-centric sport, sanctions the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Circuit and ensures that the contests are judged professionally and that safety standards are in place at each event.  

About the Empire State Building 

Soaring 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan (from base to antenna), the Empire State Building, owned by Empire State Realty Trust, Inc., is the “World’s Most Famous Building.” With new investments in energy efficiency, infrastructure, public areas and amenities, the Empire State Building has attracted first-rate tenants in a diverse array of industries from around the world. The skyscraper’s robust broadcasting technology supports major television and FM radio stations in the New York metropolitan market. The Empire State Building was named America’s favorite building in a poll conducted by the American Institute of Architects, and the Empire State Building Observatory is one of the world’s most beloved attractions as the region’s #1 tourist destination. For more information on the Empire State Building, please visit www.empirestatebuilding.com, www.facebook.com/empirestatebuilding, @EmpireStateBldg, www.instagram.com/empirestatebldg, www.youtube.com/esbnyc or www.pinterest.com/empirestatebldg/.  

About Nathan’s Famous, Inc.  

Nathan’s Famous 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, the Cayman Islands and ten foreign countries through its restaurant system, foodservice sales programs and product licensing activities. Last year, over 500 million Nathan’s Famous hot dogs were sold. Nathan’s was ranked #22 on the Forbes 2014 list of the Best Small Companies in America and was listed as the Best Small Company in New York State in October 2013. For additional information about Nathan’s please visit our website at www.nathansfamous.com. The contents of our website have not been incorporated into and do not form a part of this press release. 

Nathan’s Famous, Inc. 

One Jericho Plaza, Jericho, NY 11753                

Press Contact:

Major League Eating, (212) 627-5766 

Adriana Ball, 917-745-6677; George Shea 917 584-0988, Richard Shea 917-584-3542 

Stacey-Ann Hosang (Empire State Building), 212-736-3100