When Nathan Handwerker started selling hot dogs from a cart at Coney Island in 1916, he undercut the competition by charging just five cents each. Nathan’s Famous Fort Myers will celebrate its one-year anniversary on Wednesday, March 15 at 11150 S. Cleveland Ave., Suite 100 by offering five-cent hot dogs from 10:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.
Nathan’s Famous officially opened at Page Field Center on March 15, 2016, becoming the first full-service restaurant for the brand in Florida. It happened 100 years after Mr. Handwerker, a Jewish immigrant who arrived in New York City in 1912, first set up shop, charging half the price of his former employer. If his rock-bottom prices drew a crowd, the flavor of his wife’s hot dog recipe and his standards for quality earned life-long devotees.
Real estate developer Ray Masciana is a modern-day enthusiast who grew up down the block from the second Nathan’s Famous restaurant, opened in 1955 in Oceanside, N.Y. He completed development of the new Page Field Center directly across from Page Field Air Park early last year, and opened with Nathan’s Famous as its first storefront.
For more information, visit the store, call 277-5600 or visit NathansFamousFortMyers.com.
About Nathan’s Fort Myers
The original Nathan’s was founded in 1916 by Polish immigrant Nathan Handwerker on Coney Island. The second Nathan’s Famous opened in Oceanside, NY, in 1955. Growing up just down the block from this landmark, Ray Masciana became a lifelong fan, which years later inspired him to bring Nathan’s to Southwest Florida, where he now resides. The Page Field Center location is Nathan’s first standalone restaurant in Florida. Its hangar-style architecture pays homage to Page Field Air Park, located directly across U.S. 41 in Fort Myers.
The restaurant houses a Yankee Clipper airplane with a 30-foot wingspan, that hangs from the roof joists and is suspended over the tables. Even its drive-through is innovative, featuring a video ordering system in which customers can see the person taking their orders. Nathan’s offers something for every palate, with Nathan’s Famous hot dogs of all kinds, chicken sandwiches, burgers, fries, Philly cheesesteaks and much more.
