KANSAS CITY, MO. – Brothers Joe, Michael and Jimmy Quinn grew up in Brooklyn, NY, hearing all about Feltman’s of Coney Island. The iconic beachside eatery was founded in 1867, by Charles Feltman, a German baker and entrepreneur whose claim to fame was inventing the world’s first hot dog and selling them by the thousands to Brooklyn area beachgoers. Feltman died in 1910, but his legacy and his business was carried on by his family until it was forced to close in 1954.
Having heard about the legend that was Feltman’s for decades, the brothers vowed to one day bring Feltman’s of Coney Island back from the ashes to its rightful place as a viable brand in Brooklyn and beyond.
That dream was initially shattered after Jimmy Quinn tragically died when the World Trade Center office he was working in was destroyed by terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001. To honor their youngest brother, Joe and Michael resurrected the Feltman’s brand in 2015. In this week’s MEAT+POULTRY Podcast, Joe Quinn talks about the history of Feltman’s and how it captured the hearts and appetites of his family and became a labor of love he and his brother relentlessly pursued.
Since reviving Feltman’s, the brothers have seen it emerge as the fastest-growing hot dog company in the country, carried by more than 300 Whole Foods Markets, more than 1,100 Publix grocery stores and with online sales that have grown exponentially each year. Joe also discusses the company’s new bacon offering and how this was the next logical step in extending Feltman’s growing product line. Joe tells an inspirational story of the two food entrepreneurs motivated by a shared commitment to tradition and honor.
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