Getty Image / Kena Betancur
Some might say that Joey Chestnut is the Tiger Woods of Competitive Eating but I’d flip that around and say Tiger Woods was the Joey Chestnut of Golf.
Ahead of the annual Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, I was able to speak with Joey Chestnut aka ‘Jaws’ about what he’s been up to lately and what’s on the horizon. Our interview below spans his competitive eating contest prep to which eating records he still wants to smash.
Joey has partnered with Pepsi this 4th of July to bring a unique flavor to some our nation’s greatest ballparks. Chestnut has always loved Pepsi so it was a match made in heaven to partner with Pepsi around the debut of ‘Colachup,’ the world’s first-ever Pepsi-flavored condiment. It was created from scratch with help from Culinary Institute of America (CIA) Consulting.
This Pepsi-infused condiment will debut on the 4th of July in 4 ballparks: Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ; Section 130/131, Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY; Pepsi Lounge, Target Field, Minneapolis, MN; Section 113, and Comerica Park, Detroit, MI; Section 139.
Pepsi
I was able to speak with Joey about Colachup and what it pairs with best. We also spoke about the records he still wants to break, how he’s feeling ahead of the 4th of July, how Joey stays focused during competitions, and more.
Joey Chestnut On Which Hot Dog Toppings Pair Best With Pepsi’s Colachup
Cass: What toppings or additional condiments would you pair with the Pepsi Colachup on a hot dog?
Joey Chestnut: Colachup has as a sweetness already, and (it’s) citrusy from Pepsi. I still love raw onions or grilled onions on a hot dog. So I think that will go really good. I’ve tried the Colachup and I think it would go well with raw onions or grilled onions.
Judgement-Free Zone When It Comes To Condiments And Toppings On A Hot Dog
Cass: I know you’re from the Midwest… I personally, like ketchup on hot dogs. Do you have any like lines you draw on the sand with hot dogs when it comes to condiments like ‘no ketchup’ or ‘can’t mix ketchup with mustard’? Or is there anything that you would say can’t go on a hotdog?
Joey Chestnut: Not really. I have the craziest eating habits in the world. So I’m never gonna make fun of somebody for what they put on a hot dog. The other day I had a burrata and kimchi hot dog. It was pretty good. Trust me, I’ve eaten a lot of hot dogs and I put everything on them. And I drink a lot of Pepsi with them. Yeah, that that goes. That goes. That’s a pretty good standard to go with them. Yeah.
Competitive Eating Records Joey Chestnut Would Love To Tackle
Cass: You’ve you’ve been a competitive eater eater for so long… Are there any records that you have an eye on that you want to break? Any that you haven’t had the opportunity yet to break?
Joey Chestnut: Food contests… There’s a bit there’s been a couple other foods (non hot dogs).
I would love to get a king crab record. I would love to eat hot dogs on every continent. I think that’d be really fun. I still need South America. I don’t know if anybody’s ever eaten hot dogs on all of them.
Cass: Are there any records that you’ve broken that you look back on? And think how how did I possibly eat that much food in that short period of time?
Joey Chestnut: There’s been a couple of them that I did… I did mutton sliders once. And for some reason, they were going down so easy. And then the next year, I was like ‘whoa, I can’t believe I ate that much mutton.’
And that was it. I started practicing for the contest again. And mutton has that weird little gamey, funky farmhouse flavor. So I don’t know if I my tastebuds changed a little bit but it I don’t know if I’ll be able to break that record.
What Training Looks Like Before A Competitive Eating Competition
Cass: So with the competition training like that, what is like the final 72 hours before competition look like for you?
Joey Chestnut: At about 48 hours, 2 days, is my last real meal. And then a normal meal. And then it’s pretty much a cleanse beforehand. Lemon juice, water, a little bit of protein supplements.
Then the day of the contest I wake up super early. I’m drinking liquid, doing yoga, doing some burping exercises, and sucking in my stomach and saying alright, there’s room for 15, 16, and 17 pounds of food.
Cass: Have you ever considered releasing a competitive eating yoga series of your own?
Joey Chestnut: I could do it, but it would be it would be kind of like copying DDP Yoga (Diamond Dallas Page).
Yoga I think is really good for everybody. Being uncomfortable and controlling your breathing is really important. It actually worked with a lot of things in life, being uncomfortable and not panicking. Nobody expects that I like yoga as much as I do. Yeah. But it’s, it’s good for me.
Cass: Has that preparation changed at all over the years? Do you find yourself stretching longer doing longer yoga sessions now than you used to? Or is it shorter now? Because you’re, you’re accustomed to the routine?
Joey Chestnut: It’s definitely something that I do it more. It’s something that I want to say ‘lean on’, but life has weird stresses. So I found that it really does calm me down and tells me find my happy place. And I can go ahead, the more I go to that place. When doing yoga, I can go to that place when I’m stressed out. And just find just a clear head.
Joey Chestnut Has The Best Fans
Cass: Did you ever find it difficult to eat at restaurants? Do random people ever send you food?
Joey Chestnut: Oh yea. It’s not.. It’s not bad. Yeah. So if I go to a little restaurant and the waiter recognizes me, then he tells like, the manager, or the manager tells the chef and the chef sends out something really cool. And it’s always happy people.
And I can eat it. A lot of people will tell me ‘oh my god, I sent this out to to a baseball player, and he just took a bite and he left it.’ So but they’re really happy that I could finish whatever they send out. And like I said, it’s always happy people and the food brings people together. I’m really lucky that the people that do recognize me are the ones that have a love of food like I do.
Cass: Do you ever get stopped by strangers and challenged to eating contests on the fly? People who are like ‘oh, that’s Joey Chestnut! Let’s see who who can eat this quicker.
Joey Chestnut: Baseball fans. If I’m at a baseball game… If I’m having a hot dog… Sometimes, we’re gonna have to do ‘one hot dog off’. And it’s all right. I love going to a baseball game and enjoying a few too many hot dogs.
Specialty Hot Dogs On Joey’s Bucket List
Pepsi
Cass: Are there any specialty hot dogs at games you want to try but haven’t yet, like a Goetta Sausage dog at Great American Ballpark in Cincy? or the Crab Mac N Cheese Dog from Oriole Park?
Joey Chestnut: I’ve had some had some special ones. I was in Toronto and I had a poutine dog. And this Fourth of July, the Pepsi Colachup is gonna be available at ballparks. So everybody can enjoy Pepsi ON a hot dog. The Pepsi condiment on a hotdog. And so that will be good.
I know the Arizona Diamondbacks have The Big Boomstick. I’ve always wanted to try it, it’s a 2-foot-long hot dog.
Cass: Are there any hot dog records that you have fallen short of in the past and competitions that you still want to break in your Hall of Fame career?
Joey Chestnut: As far as hot dogs… I would still love to get that at 80 hot dog mark. I mean… I love hot dogs and it’d be nice to hit that 80 (dog) mark because I know I’m capable of it. It’s just a matter of little variables.
And there’s lots of little (records)… I love tacos. I’d love to put down a really massive taco record. It’s weird because I have some really good ones. I think everybody recognizes the Taco Bell record (53 soft beef tacos in 10 minutes). But yeah, taco is the standard. So I think a record in that would be really good.
And whatever comes. As long as I’m healthy I’m going to continue pushing.
Why Joey Chestnut Will Set Another Hot Dog Record On The 4th Of July
Cass: How are you feeling this week? Feeling good?
Joey Chestnut: I’m feeling good. Way better than last year. Last year, I had that broken leg. This year I’m way more fit and I’m happy. So things are things are gonna happen. Good things happen when you’re happy.
(This interview has been edited for length and clarity)