Joey Chestnut will make his grand return to Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest this summer after last year's ban

It's not summer in NYC without Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, which will return to Coney Island for another snappy session of competitive gorging on Friday, July 4 at Nathan’s Flagship restaurant (1310 Surf Ave.) on the corner of Surf and Stillwell Avenues. And it's simply not the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest without Joey Chestnut, the famed competitive eater who has taken the title at the annual culinary contest a whopping 16 times. And after a controversial year away from the contest, the frankfurter king will officially try to reclaim his throne this summer.

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Though the Kentucky native has been a faithful fixture of the Brooklyn-based eating competition for years — he won consecutively from 2007 to 2014 and again from 2016 to 2023 — Chestnut was barred from participating in the 2024 edition of the annual contest due to a competing sponsorship with plant-based food company Impossible Foods, a rival to Nathan's Famous.

However, per the New York Post, negotiations have seemingly been in place these last few weeks to have Chestnut makes his grand return to the fan-favorite Nathan's event. And the champ himself revealed that those talks were successful: “I’m thrilled to be returning to the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest. This event means the world to me. It’s a cherished tradition, a celebration of American culture, and a huge part of my life,” Chestnut said in an official statement posted to his social media accounts on Monday, June 16.

“While I have and continue to partner with a variety of companies, including some in the plant-based space, those relationships were never a conflict with my love for hot dogs. To be clear: Nathan’s is the only hot dog company I’ve ever worked with,” the statement continued. “I respect that there were differences in interpretation, but I’m grateful we’ve been able to find common ground. I’m excited to be back on the Coney Island stage, doing what I live to do, and celebrating the Fourth of July with hot dogs in my hands!”

Outside of last year's victor Patrick Bertoletti — who beat 13 challengers by wolfing down 58 full hot dogs, buns and all, in only 10 minutes — the rest of Nathan's 2025 competitors haven't been announced just yet, but having Joey Chestnut back on the frank-scarfing lineup will surely bring extra attention to the summertime ceremonies. Chestnut holds the all-time men's record for eating the most hot dogs in a 10-minute timeframe: an insane 76 franks in 2021, one more than his 2020 record. Who knows how many tubers he'll clear this year!