Rufus Red Hots hosting local hot dog eating contest Saturday

The new hot dog restaurant in town, Rufus Red Hots, is hosting its first hot dog eating contest, which it plans to make an annual event, Saturday at its restaurant at 600 Broadway in Cape Girardeau.

Owner Yolanda Cawthon said the event was created for the community to have fun and to celebrate national hot dog month.

There will be 10 local contestants who will take on the challenge, which includes a few "surprise contestants" Cawthon said the public will recognize.

At least 76 uniform hot dogs and buns were ordered for the competition. Cawthon said it is based off of the most recent Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on the Fourth of July in which Joey Chestnut, a competitive eater, ate 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes.

Contestants in this competition will only have seven minutes to eat as many hot dogs as they can. According to a Facebook post by the restaurant explaining the rules, contestants will be provided one plate at a time -- each with five hot dogs and buns, "competitors can dunk hot dog and bun in cups for no longer than six seconds," "Hot dog and bun can be separated, can be broken in parts, but if only a portion of the hot dog is eaten, they must eat an equal part of the bun and vice versa," and there are no utensils allowed.

While Saturday's competition is seven minutes long, the event will run from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Between the competition, there will be a raffle for free hot dogs from Rufus Red Hots, Vienna Beef Hot Dog merchandise and more.