IRVING, Texas—National Hot Dog Day is July 21, and 7-Eleven wants Americans to “Seize the Dog.” The retailer will celebrate the humble frankfurter by offering its beloved Quarter-Pound Big Bite 100% beef hot dog for just $1 at participating stores for the entire month of July.

In addition, small Slurpee drinks are also $1 all summer long. “7-Eleven's Big Bite hot dogs and Slurpee drinks are American icons, and while they're enjoyed year-round, summertime is their time to shine, with millions stopping by to grab a Big Bite hot dog and a Slurpee on their way to the lake, pool, home from a game or just to satisfy a craving," said Robin Murphy, fresh food product director, in a press release.

7-Eleven sells more than 100 million hot dogs each year, making it one of the country's top hot dog sellers. One legend says the term “hot dog” was coined by a New York cartoonist who couldn't spell the hot “dachshund” sausages he observed a vendor selling during a baseball game. In a newspaper cartoon, he sketched a real dachshund dog, smeared with mustard, in a bun, being sold by a vendor shouting, “Get your hot dog.”

Since 1957, July was designated National Hot Dog Month to celebrate the All-American wiener and bun. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council established the third Wednesday in July as National Hot Dog Day to coincide with the annual hot dog lunch on Capitol Hill. The event is sponsored by the North American Meat Institute, the council's parent organization. The council estimates that Americans eat more than 20 billion hot dogs each year, almost 40% during the peak hot dog season, between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Although 7-Eleven began offering hot dogs in its stores in the early 1970s, its iconic Big Bite hot dogs didn't roll out until 1988, along with the company's now ubiquitous roller grills. Big Bite hot dogs are made using a proprietary all-beef recipe created exclusively for 7-Eleven. The convenience retailer estimates it sells well over 100 million hot dogs each year.

As reported in the NACS Daily last week, Love’s Travel Stops is also celebrating National Hot Dog Day, giving loyal customers a free hot dog, which they can get using the chain’s app.