Nathan Handwerker

Nathan Handwerker (June 14, 1892 – March 24, 1974) was the founder of an iconic hot dog stand that evolved into Nathan's Famous restaurants and related Nathan's retail product line. An immigrant from Poland, he and his wife Ida used $300

Biography

Handwerker was born in Galicia, a former kingdom and constituent part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the partitioned Poland under the Austrian rule that roughly spanned the contemporary Poland-Ukraine border. One of 13 children of a poor Jewish shoemaker, he immigrated to the United States in 1912. Nathan and Ida spent their life savings of $300 to begin the business. They spiced their hot dogs with Ida's secret recipe and sold them for a nickel.

On March 23, 1974, Nathan Handwerker suffered a heart attack at his home in North Port Charlotte, Florida. or at Sarasota General Hospital, in Sarasota, Florida.

In 2016, the corner of Surf Avenue and Stillwell Avenue was co-named Nathan & Ida Handwerker Way to honor Nathan and his wife Ida.