Bourke Harvey was faced with a dilemma in the spring of 2020: Should he continue his wildly famous 4th of July Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating competition at Curly’s Frozen Custard in Fort Worth with the recent advent of the pandemic?
For 10 years, every Fort Worth-Dallas TV station covered the spectacle of the competition on tables decorated with patriotic red, white, and blue decorations.
“My first instinct was to cancel everything because of the social distancing recommendations,” says Harvey. “However, I also realized that people had been cooped up in their homes, working away from the office, and that they need a safe and fun release.”
The result? Harvey launched his first Free Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Giveaway for July 4, 2020, to celebrate our nation’s birthday and Curly’s then-18th anniversary. Customers could either drive through or order at the walk-up window.
There were two rules:
1. One free Nathan’s Famous hot dog per customer
2. No purchase necessary
“I had no idea what to expect with the giveaway,” adds Harvey. “While the event was scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m., cars started lining up in the drive-through at 10:15 a.m. The response was so strong that, by noon, we were almost out of the free hot dogs. We served 180 hot dogs in honor of our country on our 18th anniversary that day.”
Don’t mistake these hot dogs for the smaller sizes in the grocery meat case. Curly’s was giving away the same quarter-pound Nathan’s Famous hot dogs that it serves every day.
In his effort to constantly elevate the customer experience last year, Harvey added a free miniature American flag – American-made, of course – to accompany the free hot dogs and reinforce the 4th of July. The free American flags return this year.
Of course, Curly’s is also known for its Parker County Peach frozen custard, made from pureed peaches sourced from a farm in Parker County. That flavor will be introduced this Thursday and carry through August.
How the July 4 event happened
Bourke Harvey decided in 2011 to change hot dog brands to Nathan’s Famous, and he made that switch at the end of June. He hosted Curly’s first Nathan’s Famous competition on that 4th of July to capitalize on the tremendous amount of TV exposure that covered the Nathan’s Famous competition on Coney Island.
Harvey contacted Nathan’s Famous and secured permission to hold a local Nathan’s Famous competition.
He welcomed competitors in youth and adult divisions, offering trophies and gift cards. For three years, he also awarded the adult winner – who he called the “Grand Chomp-ion” – two VIP tickets to a Texas Rangers game (on the first row above the Rangers’ team dugout) and one of the Boomstick Hot Dogs that was two feet long.
Ever the brilliant promoter, Harvey was giving away a VIP baseball experience plus a monstrous hot dog to the hot dog contest winner!
The competition format was simple. For the adult division, whoever ate four hot dogs in the fastest time was the winner. For the youth division, competitors ate two hot dogs.
Unlike the Nathan’s Famous national competition, participants were not allowed to dunk their hot dogs in water. They could drink water, but they were not allowed to pour water on their hot dogs.
In Harvey’s words, “The Nathan’s Famous hot dog is the finest hot dog ever made. Dunking the dog into water is taking away from absolute perfection.”
This 4th of July
Bourke Harvey looks forward to welcoming customers with 230 free Nathan’s Famous hot dogs, offering 10 hot dogs for every year Curly’s has been in business at its 4017 Camp Bowie location.
“It’s my honor to celebrate our nation’s 249th birthday by serving free Nathan’s Famous quarter-pound hot dogs to our guests. Each is a Texas-sized treat. We have received so much positive feedback throughout the past five years that customers appreciated a free hot dog on our nation’s birthday.
Visitors to Curly’s on July 4 may use the drive-through window or the walk-up window on the patio starting at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, July 4.
While enjoying a Nathan’s Famous hot dog, guests may also place regular orders from the Curly’s menu, which features its summer delight – Parker County Peach frozen custard.
“Parker County Peach is a signature flavor for us,” continues Harvey. “We have become known for Fort Worth’s favorite frozen treats numerous times, and our Parker County Peach flavor has helped create that reputation, along with our delicious concretes and ice cream sandwiches.”
He concludes, “Nathan’s Famous is The Official Hot Dog of Summer, and Curly’s is happy to serve 230 for free to loyal patrons and our community.”
