Coney Island (restaurant) facts for kids
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A Coney Island is a special type of restaurant. These restaurants are very popular in the northern United States. You'll find many of them, especially in Michigan. The name "Coney Island" also refers to the famous Coney Island hot dog, which is what these restaurants are named after.
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Where Did Coney Islands Start?
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"Coney Islands" are a unique kind of American restaurant. The very first Coney Island restaurant opened in Jackson, Michigan. This was in 1914. It was started by a Macedonian immigrant named George Todoroff. Today, two different Coney Island restaurants are near his original spot. They are called Jackson Coney Island and Virginia Coney Island. Many other local restaurants in Jackson also sell their own version of the Coney Island hot dog. Locals often just call it a "coney."
Two of the most famous Coney Island restaurants are in downtown Detroit. They are Lafayette Coney Island and American Coney Island. They are right next to each other on Lafayette Boulevard. These two restaurants share a common history. They were started by two Greek immigrant brothers, Bill and Gus Keros, in 1915. The brothers later had a business disagreement. In 1917, they split their restaurant. That's how the two separate places we see today came to be.
Many European immigrants came to the United States in the early 1900s. They often arrived through Ellis Island. One of their first stops was often the Coney Island neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. Hot dogs were very popular there. The original restaurant name showed that it was owned by immigrants. It also served the popular food from Coney Island, New York.
What's on the Menu?
The main food at all Coney Island restaurants is the Coney Island hot dog. This hot dog has a natural casing. It comes in a steamed bun. It's topped with chili, diced onions, and yellow mustard. People usually just call this item a "coney."
Another popular item is the "loose hamburger." This is crumbled ground beef in a hot dog bun. It's covered with the same toppings as a Coney Island hot dog. Many Coney Islands also serve "chili fries." These are french fries covered in chili. Sometimes they add mustard, onions, or cheese too.
Many Coney Islands also offer other Greek and Greek-American dishes. These include gyros, souvlaki, shish kebab, spanakopita, saganaki, and Greek salads. You can also find typical American diner food. This includes regular hamburgers, sandwiches, breakfast items, and desserts.
How Coney Island Restaurants Grew
The owners of the first Coney Island restaurants did not trademark their name or business idea. Because of this, many other restaurants started using the same name and style. Many Greek immigrants opened Coney Islands all over Detroit.
Coney Islands have developed a special dining style. This style is copied in hundreds of different restaurants. You can find them across the Detroit area and in other parts of Michigan. They are also in nearby states. There are some small differences, though. For example, the chili sauce in Detroit is more liquid. In Jackson and Flint, Michigan, the sauce is usually drier.
Many Greek diners in Buffalo, New York, are similar to Detroit-style Coney Islands. You can also find them across upstate New York, northeastern Pennsylvania (like Wilkes-Barre), and New Jersey. These places often serve their own style of hot dogs. They are called Texas Hot or Texas Wiener. However, unlike Detroit's Coney Islands, the Texas Hot is often not the most important item on their menu.
Sioux City, Iowa, also has a few Coney Island eateries. You can also find them in the Houston, Texas, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, areas.
Coney Island Restaurant Chains
James Coney Island
James Coney Island, Inc. is a chain of fast food restaurants. They specialize in Coney Island hot dogs. Their main office is in Houston, Texas. It is located in a building on the Katy Freeway.
Leo's Coney Island
The Leo's Coney Island chain was started by two Greek brothers. Their names are Peter and Leo Stassinopoulos. They are nephews of Bill and Gust Keros. These are the brothers who founded American and Lafayette Coney Islands. Peter and Leo worked at local Coney Island restaurants. Then, in 1972, they opened their own place. It was called the Southfield Souvlaki Coney Island in Southfield, Michigan.
More locations opened in Michigan in 1978 and 1982. One was in Farmington Hills. In 1988, they named their newest location in Troy, Michigan "Leo's Coney Island." From then on, the whole chain used the name Leo's Coney Island. The brothers started letting others open Leo's restaurants as franchises in 2005. Now, it is the largest Coney Island chain in the world.
Leo's uses buns from the Metropolitan Baking Company. Their special coney sauce is their own recipe. It is made by The Milton Chili Company. The natural casing hot dogs come from the Koegel Meat Company.
National Coney Island
National Coney Island is another Coney Island-style restaurant. It is based in Michigan. They specialize in Greek-American cuisine. This company has more than 20 National Coney Island locations. They are all in the Metro Detroit area.
