Few things are more all-American than the hot dog, in both its cemented status as a barbecue favorite and the fact that its history has been shaped by immigrants. A history that can still be seen in the different hot dog styles throughout the U.S. Americans spent over $8 billion buying hot dogs in supermarkets in 2023 and consume 7 billion hot dogs from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Where did the love affair begin? The answer is a little complex, but the takeaway is that one early hot dog seller with over a century under its belt is still kicking today. The oldest operating hot dog stand is in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Fort Wayne’s Famous Coney Island Weiner Stand opened in 1914. It was established by a family of Macedonian immigrants, and the business remains in the family. Russ Choka’s father-in-law passed the business to him in the 1950s, and today, Russ’ daughter Kathy Choka remains at the helm with partner Jimmy Todoran. The family is proud that very little has changed in the simple stand, a narrow space lined with tables for quick, convenient hot-dog enjoyment — comparing its present state to a 1930s photograph, the website notes just the ceiling and employees’ uniforms are different. Today, you can still get a Coney Island hot dog just as you would have 111 years ago, with mustard, housemade “Coney” sauce, and chopped onions.
How a Coney Island stand opened in Indiana
Putting uniquely simple New York hot dogs on the map when it opened in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn in 1916, Nathan’s is often thought to be the oldest operating hot dog stand. How can a stand in Indiana be older yet be named for the oceanside neighborhood where Nathan’s started? Like many origin stories, this one isn’t exactly set in stone, but it’s believed to have to do with the Macedonian and Greek immigrants who settled places like Fort Wayne.
Charles Feltman is thought to have invented what we know as the hot dog in — you guessed it — Coney Island. He was a pie-wagon vendor there, and began serving sausages in milk rolls in 1867 — sausages had long been enjoyed in places like Germany, where people often ate them in bread. The easy-to-eat, savory, filling creation took off. Feltman opened a hot dog stand on the boardwalk there in 1871 and sold thousands his first year. Greek and Macedonian immigrants tried and loved these hot dogs as they passed through Brooklyn upon arriving in America, and took the tradition with them as they settled throughout the country. “Coney Island” diners and hot dogs opened in the Midwest, with that Fort Wayne stand being one of the earliest. “Coney dogs” are unique for their heritage: German sausages turned into American hot dogs topped with beanless chili, aka “Coney sauce,” inspired by the Greek and Macedonian meat sauce saltsa kima.
