Nathan’s and union respond to Coney development

Although some feared
Nathan’s would be forced to leave Coney Island as the area is redeveloped,
Eric Gatoff, CEO of Nathan’s Famous, said they’re not going anywhere.
“We remain committed to Coney Island in the long-term and we fully
intend to maintain our historic flagship restaurant at 1301 Surf
Avenue, which has been the heart of the company since it was
established in 1916,” Gatoff said in a statement. Gatoff said he
believes the city has no intention to replace or demolish the eatery. Meanwhile, Union
32BJ, which is comprised of more than 70,000 property service workers,
issued a statement today about the Department of City Planning’s plan
to rezone Coney Island. Union President Mike Fishman said: “For Coney
Island and future development projects to benefit all New Yorkers, they
must guarantee permanent jobs that provide wages and benefits to
support working families. Moving forward with redevelopment projects
that create jobs for New Yorkers is vital in these tough economic
times.” TRD