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Wiener takes all: Joey Chestnut retains his hot dog eating crown

Wiener takes all: Joey Chestnut retains his hot dog eating crown

Wiener takes all

Joey “Jaws” Chestnut has once again won the annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, held at the historic site of the company’s original Coney Island stand. While he clinched the coveted mustard-yellow belt for an astounding 16th time, his 62-dog effort in 10 minutes fell short of his own jaw-dropping record of 76, set in 2021.

With a myth-filled history dating back to 1916, the competition's official format started to take shape in the 1970s. Sometimes dubbed the “Olympics of competitive eating”, today the contest garners widespread coverage from international news outlets, from The New York Times to the BBC.

Dog eat dog

In 2001, the competition underwent a transformation when Takeru Kobayashi introduced ground breaking techniques — removing the hot dog, splitting it in two, dipping the bread in water, and wiggling his body throughout. These methods allowed him to consume 50 dogs – a feat that doubled the previous record.

Since 2007, however, it’s been the Joey Chestnut show, with many now wondering if he can ever break his own record of 76one study puts the theoretical maximum amount of hot dogs a human can consume in 10 minutes at 83.

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Starbucks issues apology after viral “Bearista” cup meltdown

Holiday cheer turned into chaos this week for Starbucks after the coffee giant’s new “Bearista” holiday cup sent fans into a frenzy. 

Dropped alongside its 2025 holiday menu, the $30 beanie-wearing glass bear tumbler sparked long lines, sellouts, and even in-store scuffles before Starbucks stepped in with an apology.

“The excitement for our merchandise exceeded even our biggest expectations,” the company said in a statement to People. “Despite shipping more Bearista cups to our coffeehouses than almost any other item this holiday season, the Bearista cup and some other items sold out fast.”

Within hours of launch, frustrated fans flooded Starbucks’ social media pages and even store hotlines. Some customers waited in line before dawn and others said their stores received only a handful of cups. In one Houston location, the craze even turned physical, with police reportedly called to break up a brawl. Meanwhile, the cup is already reselling on sites like eBay, with listings topping $600.

“We understand many customers were excited about the Bearista cup and apologize for the disappointment this may have caused,” Starbucks said. While in-store customers may be upset, investors seem happy about the viral hit, as the stock has risen over 3% on Friday.

If you’re still hoping for a Bearista at market price, that may not be on order: the chain didn’t disclose how many cups were made or whether a restock is planned.

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Target tells workers to smile, wave, and greet shoppers if they come within 10 feet of them

Target just rolled out a new rule for store employees: smile, make eye contact, and greet or wave when a shopper comes within 10 feet — and if they get closer, within four feet, ask whether they need help or how their day is going, according to a new Bloomberg report.

Dubbed the 10-4 program internally, the rule mirrors rival Walmarts own 10-foot policy, formalizing behavior Target had previously only encouraged.

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Monster surges on energy drink buzz, while Celsius sinks on distribution concerns

Shares of Monster Beverage climbed 5% after the bell on Thursday, and held most of those gains into early trading on Friday, following strong Q3 results.

The energy drink giant topped market expectations, with quarterly sales up 17% year over year to $2.2 billion and adjusted net profits growing 41% to $524.5 million — 11% ahead of Wall Street’s estimates. In the report, Monster highlighted its zero-sugar line and new product launches, with a stack of novel flavors already released this year, as bright spots.

During a call with analysts, Chief Executive Hilton Schlosberg said that the global energy drink category “remains healthy with robust growth,” The Wall Street Journal reported, adding that demand for more affordable caffeinated drinks is rising as coffee has become “really expensive.”

Meanwhile, rival beverage business Celsius saw shares fall as much as 23% on its Q3 results yesterday — despite beating expectations, with revenue jumping 173% — largely due to concerns about a change in the company’s distribution channel, as its newly acquired Alani Nu brand joins the PepsiCo distribution network.

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