If you live in Coney Island, you are aware of the Original Famous Nathans on the corner of Surf Ave. and Stillwell Ave. and the significant damage caused by hurricane sandy. Nathans has been under the process of rebuilding for several months in anticipation of opening before the summer season and the Famous 4th of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest.
As the rebuilding process encounters the final phase of construction, the project managers realizes that the existing domestic water line is not large enough to support the additional plumbing fixtures installed over the prior months. The realization becomes a huge concern as the construction crew is about to restore the floor with the target opening date just days away. The project suddenly comes to a halt as the project manager scrambles to figure out how to have a new water main installed without pushing back opening day. After consulting with the projects internal plumber, he advises to call Harris Water Main & Sewer Contractors as the new main installation calls for a specialist; the new main installation is not a project that the average “plumber” is equipped to complete.
A Harris representative makes a visit to the site where he quickly identifies that the existing 1 ½” water line had to be replaced with a new 2” copper water line. The permit process is expedited on an emergency basis and the new 2” water main install begins within 48 hrs of the initial contact.
The installation date could not have fallen on a worst day as NYC was set to experience torrential downpours throughout the entire day but it was not an option to push the install back, there was a lot of work pending the completion of the new water line.
The Harris Water field crew arrived on-site at 9AM, due to severe weather conditions they had to wait an additional 30 minutes before the weather would allow for a safe work environment. By 10AM the worst of the storm had passed and the field crew had begun excavating the tap hole in the roadway. Once they reached the tap connection, the water was turned off and they began blowing an extra-long tunnel from the roadway to inside the building. Under normal circumstances the crew would have made an additional hole on the sidewalk, in this case it was requested that they do not break the sidewalk. The project manager wanted to keep all of the cement uniform to assist the flagship restaurant in looking as aesthetically pleasing as possible.
Ninety minutes later the tunneling was completed and the new 2” copper pipe was being pulled from the street to inside the restaurant. Once the pipe was successfully installed, the foreman began connecting the copper pipe to the 1 ½” tap connection in the roadway. Another crew member was installing a new ball valve on the inside of the building where they would re-connect to the internal plumbing. The water was turned on and tested by 3:30pm leaving the Original Famous Nathans restaurant one step closer to re-opening for the summer season!
Nathan’s Famous History
Courtesy of nathansfamous.com
Nathan’s Famous was founded by a Polish immigrant, Nathan Handwerker, and his is truly an authentic “only in America story.” He started his business in 1916 with a small hot dog stand in Coney Island, New York. He sold hot dogs that were manufactured based on a recipe developed by his wife, Ida.
In the over 96 years that have passed since opening day, Nathan’s has gained worldwide recognition for the unequaled quality and taste of its product. Today, Nathan’s has gained a reputation for being among the highest quality hot dogs in the world. Nathan’s popularity was almost instantaneous, and in its earliest days had legendary characters such as Al Capone, Eddie Cantor, Jimmy Durante, and Cary Grant as regular customers. It gained its first international exposure when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt served Nathan’s Famous hot dogs to the King and Queen of England in 1939. Later, Roosevelt had Nathan’s hot dogs sent to Yalta when he met with Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin. Years later, Nelson Rockefeller, Governor of New York, stated that, “No man can hope to be elected in his state without being photographed eating a hot dog at Nathan’s Famous.”
Politicians, show-business personalities, and sports celebrities are often seen and photographed munching Nathan’s dogs, and heard singing its praises. Barbra Streisand, actually had Nathan’s hot dogs delivered to London, England for a private party. A trip to Nathan’s was the focus of a Seinfeld episode created by comedian Jerry Seinfeld. More recently, the ex-mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani declared Nathan’s the “World’s best hot dog.” Shortly after that, Nathan Handwerker was named to the city’s top 100- joining the ranks of Joe Namath, Irving Berlin, Andrew Carnegie, Joe DiMaggio and others. Even Jacqueline Kennedy loved Nathan’s dogs, and served them at the White House. In his final last will and testament, actor Walter Mathau requested Nathan’s hot dogs to be served at his funeral – they were! The point is Nathan’s is not just a hot dog, it has history and it is Americana! Last year there were over 435 million Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs sold! Today, Nathan’s is sold and enjoyed in all 50 States and sold at over 40,000 food service and retail outlets.
