See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.
By Will Bredderman
Brooklyn Daily
That’s not the smell of burning hot dogs!
A small fire broke out on the roof of the famous Nathan’s Famous flagship store early on May 4. But the famed frankfurter purveyor promised that the short-lived blaze won’t set back its reopening plans.
Flames flared, sending up a plume of black smoke, on the roof of the building at the corner of Surf and Stillwell avenues at 9:42 am, said the FDNY. Firefighters extinguished the blaze by 10:11 am. The department said it is investigating the cause of the fire.
A Nathan’s spokesman said that the blaze would not set back construction on the Coney staple, which has been closed since it sustained significant damage during last year’s Hurricane Sandy.
“The fire was immediately extinguished and no significant damage was done. The incident will not affect the timing of ongoing renovations,” the spokesman said.
A source close to the company said that the frankfurter emporium will re-open shortly before Memorial Day.
The fate of the 96-year-old hot dog and french fry depot — which is not a landmark and so can be altered or demolished as its owner sees fit — has been up in the air since the city rezoned the lot it sits on to allow for the construction of a hotel or theater. But Nathan’s — which owns the property — has indicated that it does not plan to change the store.
Reach reporter Will Bredderman at wbredderman@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-4507. Follow him at twitter.com/WillBredderman.