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Nathan’s Famous Now Serving Vegan Hot Dogs

Call it a sign of the times. Hot on the heels of the announcement that the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest is returning to Coney Island this Fourth…

Nathan's hot dog eaters

NEW YORK, NY – JULY 04: People visit the hot dog restaurant Nathan’s before the eating contest on July 4, 2019 in New York City. Nathan’s held its first hot dog eating contest in Coney Island on July 4, 1916. (Photo by Kena Betancur/Getty Images)

Kena Betancur/Getty Images

Call it a sign of the times. Hot on the heels of the announcement that the Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest is returning to Coney Island this Fourth of July, Nathan's is adding a vegan hot dog to its menu beginning today (6/7).

The hot dog chain partnered with Meatless Farms, a company that makes plant-based products, to make the vegan hot dog, which has the same flavor as the original. James Walker, the president of Nathan's Famous restaurants, told the New York Post that his company spent a lot of time perfecting the meatless wiener.

The vegan Nathan's hot dog has actually been available since April on Shopify. They’re a little pricey, though. A kit of six meatless dogs, buns, and a bottle of Nathan’s Famous deli mustard goes for $44.99.

No word if Nathan's will include the vegan variety in their Fourth of July hot dog eating contest. We do know that the competition is moving from its traditional location to Maimonides Park, home of the minor league Brooklyn Cyclones. That will drop attendance from 30,000 to about 7,000 for social distancing purposes. Nathan's hopes to return the chow down challenge back to their Coney Island flagship store at the corner of Stillwell and Surf Avenues in 2022.

Nathan's Famous, Coney Island

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Phil Harris is 50% of "Phil & Mel in the Afternoon" on K104.7. He has been with the station since 2013 and on the air in Charlotte since 2000. Before coming to the Queen City, Phil worked for radio stations in Pittsburgh, Austin, and Seattle. In addition to the weekly "Throwback Threesome" music video feature, Phil writes about things that matter to Charlotte sports fans and pet owners. He happens to be both.