Murray Handwerker

Who was Murray Handwerker?

Murray Handwerker was an American businessman who expanded Nathan's Famous, a fast food restaurant specializing in hot dogs, from a family-owned hot dog stand to a nationally franchised chain. The original Nathan's Famous hot dog stand was opened in Coney Island, Brooklyn, by Handwerker's father, Nathan Handwerker, in 1916.

Murray Handwerker was born on July 25, 1921, to Polish immigrant parents, Nathan and Ida Handwerker, in New York City. He often visited and worked at his father's hot dog stand as a child. Handwerker served in the United States Army during World War II. In 1947, he received a bachelor's degree in French from New York University.

Handwerker initially took over and renovated the Roadside Rest, a roadside restaurant in Oceanside, New York, during the 1950s. However, he soon returned to his family's hot dog business.

Handwerker expanded Nathan's Famous in the decades following World War II. In 1968, Murray Handwerker became the president of the Nathan's Famous chain. The company reached ten franchises, with 43 restaurants directly owned by the company, by 1977. Additionally, Handwerker wrote a cookbook, Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Cookbook, which was published in 1968. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 68-12738. He sold the company to a group of investors in 1987.