Smithfield Foods is set to purchase Nathan’s Famous in a $450 million deal, reported Reuters this morning. The deal is expected to close in the first half of this year, Smithfield said.

Smithfield already has an exclusive license to manufacture and sell Nathan's Famous within the U.S., Canada and Sam's Clubs in Mexico, according to the article.

"The Nathan's Famous acquisition is a meaningful step in the progression of Smithfield Foods, allowing us to own all of the top brands in our Packaged Meats portfolio," Smithfield CEO Shane Smith said.

According to the outlet, Nathan’s Famous started in 1916 as a hot dog cart. Immigrant Nathan Handwerker borrowed $300 from then-unknown entertainers, Jimmy Durante and Eddie Cantor, and sold the hot dogs for 5 cents.

“The roller grill remains an important part of c-store foodservice programs, and there remains a core consumer group who are roller-grill enthusiasts,” said Sandie D. Ray, vice president, foodservice sales and marketing Ruiz Foods, in the June 2024 NACS Magazine article “Let It Roll.”

One of the appealing dynamics of roller grills is the wide net they cast when it comes to consumer demographics. Ryan Boone, corporate chef at QuikTrip, which offers a wide array of products in the space, said, “There is no singular roller-grill customer. Our roller-grill customers are [composed] of skilled laborers, professionals, high school and college students. Because roller grills serve up the ultimate convenience food, they’re perfect for guests who don’t have as much time to wait for hot food as does a made-to-order customer.”

Interested in learning about how the foodservice category performed in 2025? Join your peers at the NACS State of the Industry Summit April 14-16 in Schaumburg, Illinois, for the industry’s only event where convenience retailers gain access to the latest convenience-specific metrics.