The Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Brand Was Sold In A Massive All-Cash Deal - Here's For How Much - The Takeout

"If you live in New York, Nathan's Famous in Coney Island might as well be a synonym for "hot dog" because of its food stand presence all over the city. On a larger scale, it's best known for the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest held on the Fourth of July every year. Behind the scenes, there have been some changes going on inside the hot dog company, including a recent buyout: Nathan's Famous has just been sold to the tune of $450 million."

"Since 2014, Smithfield Foods, based in Smithfield, Virginia, already held a license to make and sell Nathan's-branded hot dogs across the U.S. and Canada (and in Sam's Club stores in Mexico). As of this new deal, Smithfield is now the full owner of Nathan's Famous, and bought it up for a slightly premium price of $102 per share. And that $450 million total is all in cash."

Smithfield Foods completed a $450 million cash acquisition of Nathan's Famous, paying $102 per share to become the company's full owner. Smithfield had made and sold Nathan's-branded hot dogs under a license since 2014 across the U.S., Canada, and in some Mexican Sam's Club stores. Nathan's hot dogs were already produced by WH Group, Smithfield's parent, so product sourcing is likely unchanged. Nathan's began as Nathan Handwerker's Coney Island hot dog stand in 1916 and later expanded under his son Murray before becoming a public company. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2026, and the annual Coney Island hot dog eating contest will continue.

Read at The Takeout