Nathan’s Famous and Nextbite partnered to offer a delivery-only menu of hot dogs, burgers and crinkle cut fries through Nextbite’s restaurant partner network, Nextbite wrote in an email to Restaurant Dive.
“With pre-existing built-in demand from consumers, we’re excited to help spread their classic cuisine across the U.S., especially as we move into the summer,” Alex Canter, CEO and co-founder of Nextbite, said in a statement.
The partnership comes one month after Nextbite expanded its relationship with IHOP to launch the brand’s third virtual concept, Tender Fix, across 1,000 IHOP restaurants. Nextbite/IHOP’s partnership has been largely successful, with IHOP reporting delivery sales making up 14% of its Q4 2022 off-premise mix.
Nathan’s previously partnered with Franklin Junction, offering its menu and virtual brands Wings of New York and Arthur Treacher’s within the host kitchen’s network. This led Nathan’s to surpass 100 ghost kitchens in 2021. While these brands are still being offered via Franklin Junction, Nextbite said its current partnership only includes Nathan’s delivery-only menu at this time.
Nathan’s Famous menu items, which include hot dogs with chili, cheese sauce and bacon toppings, are available for restaurant partners to set up a virtual brand presence. Nextbite offers concepts that are developed to complement current restaurant operations, equipment and resources, the company said. Via Nextbite, restaurants can connect with delivery services like Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub and help drive sales at restaurants during different dayparts than normal operations, allowing restaurants to boost sales during slow periods.
