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Joey Chestnut announced on Monday he will return to the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest next month following his absence from the event in 2024.
Chestnut, who holds the competition’s record for most hot dogs eaten with 76 in 2021, wrote on social media that he and the organizers of the contest found common ground on his sponsorships. Chestnut’s partnership with Impossible Foods caused an issue for Nathan’s Famous last year, and it kept the champion out of the competition.
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Joey Chestnut, winner of the 2021 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest, poses for photos in Coney Island’s Maimonides Park on July 4, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York. (AP Photo/Brittainy Newman, File)
Come July 4, he will be back in Coney Island.
“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 wrote on X.
“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.
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Competitive eater Joey Chestnut poses with his mustard yellow championship belt during a game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Ball State Cardinals at Sanford Stadium on Sept. 9, 2023 in Athens, Georgia. (Brandon Sloter/Image Of Sport/Getty Images)
“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! Stay hungry!”
Last year, Chestnut ate 83 hot dogs in a Netflix special event dubbed “Unfinished Beef” as he went up against competitive-eating rival Takeru Kobayashi.
It was the most hot dogs ever eaten in the history of competitive eating without being dunked in water.
Joey Chestnut cheers after finishing in first place in the 2023 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4, 2023 at Coney Island in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Chestnut won after eating 62 hot dogs. (Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
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Patrick Bertoletti won the competition last year with 58 hot dogs eaten in 10 minutes.
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