Chestnut's ban stemmed from his endorsement deal with Impossible Foods, sparking a contract dispute with MLE, which eventually ruled him out of this year's Nathan's contest. Following the ban, Chestnut expressed interest in competing against Takeru Kobayashi on Labor Day, a highly anticipated event to be broadcast on Netflix. In response to the ban, New York mayor Eric Adams called for reconciliation, emphasizing Chestnut's integral role in the Nathan's contest and encouraging a resolution.