Contestants take part in the 2011 Hot Dog Eating Contest China National Championship in Beijing, June 18, 2011.[Photo/Asianewsphoto]

BEIJING - Hot dogs, lemonade, and people wolfing down food like no tomorrow, its almost a scene right out of Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island New York, except it's in Beijing.

Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs, perhaps the world's most famous hot dog restaurant is looking to expand into China and it kicks off the first store opening with a Hot Dog Eating contest, with the top three contestants winning an all expenses paid trip to New York City for the Fourth of July competition.

The competition started with little or no fanfare as many Chinese onlookers were confused as to why there was hot dogs being stacked underneath of the open sun at Beijing's BHG Wanliu mall on Saturday. A little past noon the crowd got thicker as the MC began introducing China's top eaters and the current hot dog eating champion of the world Joey Chestnut.

Chestnut, a four-time champion came over during the peak of his training with only three weeks left to the big event on Coney Island, where he will face off against competitors all over the world including the three contestants who won Beijing's competition.

Chestnut currently holds the record of the eating 68 hot dogs in 10 minutes, also gave an exhibition after the competition, ravaging 39 hot dogs in 5 minute.

"They did a good job replicating the taste of the ones in New York, there's only one thing different is that the ones in New York have a natural skin casing and there isn't the same snap," Chestnut said.

Paul Marcus, chairman of Marcus Food and Beverage Management, the main franchisee of Nathan's Hot Dogs in China, is looking to expand Nathan's Hot Dogs in the country and looks to 80 to 100 stores in the next 10 years.