LISLE, Ill., Oct. 05, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nathan’s Famous, the world-famous hot dog company, has no shortage of history in the 99 years Americans have enjoyed its frankfurters. For almost an entire century, millions of people have flocked to the flagship location on the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues in Coney Island, N.Y. to enjoy the unmistakable flavor that Nathan Handwerker introduced in 1916.
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Handwerker himself could not have fathomed that his original recipe would have generated worldwide recognition, let alone a fan base so loyal and outspoken of their love for the brand. Over the last few years, the emergence of social media has opened new avenues for fans to connect with the brand, and vice versa.
Fast forward to this past summer, when a fan’s entry into a Nathan’s Famous sweepstakes caught the eye of executives.
All Lori Kurtz thought she was doing was entering the contest when she posted the following:
“I’m a Brooklyn original and now live in Indiana. About 7 yrs ago we ordered in some Nathan’s and invited a few close friends to taste a real dog. Since then it has grown into such a large event that our street closes down, we have a sound system in the garage and live bands. Come join us in Oct.”
“A couple months ago, Lori submitted an entry into our Original Selfie Sweepstakes that not only caught our eye, but intrigued us to have our customer relations team get in touch with her,” said Mike Paribello, Sr. Director of Marketing, Smithfield Foods. “We had the chance to learn her background and just how big of a fan of Nathan’s she really is. We thought this was a perfect opportunity to not only recognize Lori for being a fan, but to also surprise her by bringing a true taste of Coney Island to her home. Seeing Lori’s reaction was an experience our staff will never forget and we can’t thank her enough for being such a loyal customer.”
After a series of phone calls, Nathan’s Famous decided to take her invitation to heart and joined Kurtz for her annual party. However, there would be a twist. Kurtz would eventually find out that her event would be turned into a mini-Coney Island for the afternoon.
Nathan’s Famous surprised Kurtz with catering featuring Nathan’s Famous Natural Casing, Jumbo and Bun-Length hot dogs, and flew in french fries and lemonade from the Surf and Stillwell store for all of her guests. Kids of all ages were treated to a green-screen photo opportunity that would place them at Coney Island, a Zoltar® fortune-teller machine, bean-bag toss games, a mechanical pony ride, face painting and an inflatable bouncy-house.
“It’s so amazing to me to think that all this is here and we’re lucky enough for this to be part of our party,” said Kurtz. “This is the most amazing thing ever!”
In addition to all of the activities, Nathan’s Famous goodie bags including gift cards to Kroger supermarkets were distributed to her guests.
While Kurtz maintained her hosting duties for her party, Nathan’s Famous did take a few minutes to recognize her fandom and presented her with a special gift bag filled with Nathan’s Famous goodies as well as free hot dogs for one-year from Kroger.
“We probably have Nathan’s hot dogs at least once a week, so I never thought I’d have hot dogs for a year. I’m just speechless,” added Kurtz. “The generosity of Nathan’s is so overwhelming to us. We’ve given Nathan’s the love for so long, and to get this love back is something I’ve never experienced with a company before.”
Nathan’s Famous was founded almost 100 years ago in Coney Island, a popular New York City amusement and leisure destination. Nathan’s Famous prides itself on its great quality, unmistakable taste, and a passion for family fun and community support.
Smithfield Foods is the licensee of Nathan’s Famous pre-packaged hot dogs.
About Nathan's Famous
Nathan's currently distributes its products in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Cayman Islands and nine foreign countries through its restaurant system, foodservice sales programs and product licensing activities. Nathan's was ranked #55 on the Forbes list of the Best Small Companies in America and was listed as the Best Small Company in New York State in October 2013. Last year, over 500 million Nathan's Famous hot dogs were sold. For additional information about Nathan's please visit our website at www.nathansfamous.com.
About Smithfield Foods
Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield®, Eckrich®, Farmland®, Armour®, Cook's®, John Morrell®, Gwaltney®, Nathan's Famous®, Kretschmar®, Margherita®, Curly's®, Carando® and Healthy Ones®. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.