Ever wonder who invented the hot dog, or how it became a staple of American culture? And where did the moniker “hot dog” come from anyway? There’s some drama in the etymology of that name, and playwright, actor, businessman, teacher and Coney Island history buff Michael Quinn can answer those questions while teaching audiences dozens more facts about the popular summertime and ballpark treat — explaining through a dramatized retelling how the meat links are quite literally linked to New York history.
An origin story of sorts, Quinn’s one-man play, “Feltman: World’s First Hot Dog,” directed by Peter Michael Marino and playing at the 36th Street Theatre through June 14, chronicles the journey of Charles Feltman, a German immigrant who, in 1867, came up with what may have been one of the greatest culinary inventions since sliced bread — putting a frankfurter on a sliced bun.
“I just think New York City history is amazing, and I’m not sure we get opportunities to learn about New York unless it’s like an HBO series about old New York or something, so to get the history of one of the most iconic American foods in one hour is satisfying to me,” Marino told BK Reader.
Through hard work and ingenuity, Feltman grew his humble cart into a resort that, at its peak, boasted nine restaurants, an outdoor movie theater and other attractions stretching from the Coney Island boardwalk to Surf Avenue. The Marx Brothers performed there, and the resort welcomed customers such as Al Jolson, a young Mel Brooks and even Babe Ruth.
The outbreak of World War II, along with competition from Nathan Handwerker — a former bun slicer for Feltman’s who went on to found Nathan's Famous — helped bring about the end of the Feltman empire. The rivalry with Nathan’s Famous is a recurring theme throughout the play.
“It’s not just an American dream — it’s a human experience,” Quinn told BK Reader. “It’s kind of a reminder in a way of history and the immigrant experience.”
Midway through the one-act show, the story shifts to Quinn’s personal connection to Feltman’s. The audience learns how the recipe was passed down through Quinn’s grandfather, who received it while working for the American Can Company.
Quinn recalled first receiving the recipe as a child while eating lunch at Burgerama — now a Burger King — across the street from Green-Wood Cemetery and near the mausoleum where Feltman is buried.
Leaving behind his job as a high school teacher, Quinn set out to revive the historic hot dog through takeout windows and pop-ups, eventually earning rave reviews, including a New York Magazine headline declaring, “The Best New Hot Dog in New York is also the Oldest.”
“I barely see my family,” Quinn says in the play. “My friends stop inviting me out because I am working. Feltman’s is my passion, but it is consuming everything.”
For Quinn, who also gives Coney Island history tours, reviving Feltman’s became a way to preserve a piece of Brooklyn history.
“I always wanted to bring back a part of Coney Island history,” Quinn told BK Reader. “It’s a lot easier to bring back the world’s first hot dog than the world’s first roller coaster or amusement park.”
After stepping away from acting following the loss of his brother during 9/11, Quinn returned to the stage to tell this story. He premiered the play at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2025 and has been performing it in New York since March.
Animated and conversational onstage, Quinn plays multiple roles in what feels like a dramatized oral history of the original hot dog — and how it found a champion in a Brooklyn kid.
