The hot dog news from Coney Island is hard to swallow.
Joey Chestnut, perennial winner of the annual July 4th Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Competition, is out of this year’s beef barf over a deal he made to represent a different wiener brand, The Post has learned.
And not just any brand, but Impossible Foods, which recently launched a vegan frankfurter impostor made from plants.
California-born Chestnut has won it 16 times, including every year since 2016. He gobbled a world’s record 76 dogs and buns in 2021 and kept his title with a paltry 62 down the hatch last year.
He was expected to once again take his usual spot for the hot dog contest on the stage at the corner of Stillwell and Surf avenues — one block from the famous Boardwalk and a Coney Island tradition since 1916 — until the unexpected food fight.
A rep for Major League Eating (MLE), which Nathan’s sanctions to run the event, said the organizers bent over backwards to meet Chestnut’s various demands. They even agreed to let him participate in a rival Labor Day dog-eating fest to be taped for TV as long as no hot dog brand was mentioned.
But they said they drew the line on letting Chestnut pitch for a different hot dog brand.
A source said Chestnut was paid $200,000 to appear in the Nathan’s contest last year, and was offered a $1.2 million, four-year contract going forward.
“The two sides could still come to a resolution before July 4, but it depends on Joey,” an insider said.
“He’s the Michael Jordan of competitive eating. But imagine if Michael Jordan said to Nike, ‘I love being the face of Nike but I want to do commercials for Adidas too,” the source said.
If Chestnut’s out for good, leading sportsbook Bovada named Geoffrey Esper, who came in second last year for eating 49 hot dogs, as this year’s favorite at -225 odds.
MLE said in a statement: “We are devastated to learn that Joey Chestnut has chosen to represent a rival brand that sells plant-based hot dogs rather than competing in the 2024 Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest.
“MLE and Nathan’s went to great lengths in recent months to accommodate Joey and his
management team, agreeing to the appearance fee and allowing Joey to compete in a rival,
unbranded hot dog eating contest on Labor Day.
“For nearly two decades we have worked under the same basic hot dog exclusivity provisions. However, it seems that Joey and his managers have prioritized a new partnership with a different brand over our long-time relationship.
The organizers did leave the door open for Chestnut to once again compete for Nathan’s championship belt.
“Joey Chestnut is an American hero. We would love nothing more than to have him at the Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest. We hope he returns when he is not representing a rival brand.”
Neither Chestnut nor his agents would immediately comment. Impossible Foods didn’t respond either.