American Coney Island owner outraged over neighboring Lafayette's rat problem
The owner of one of Detroit's best known side-by-side — and rival — Coney Island hot dog shops called a news conference and forcefully expressed her concerns with a rodent problem in her next-door neighbor's eatery.
"I'm pissed," Grace Keros said Monday morning inside American Coney Island at 114 W. Lafayette Blvd., at times sparring with reporters. She wanted folks to know — for those who might not — her shop, and Lafayette Coney Island are "totally different."
This was not the first time Keros has faced this kind of problem and, she suggested, if something more isn't done, it might not be the last.
At the same time Monday, it wasn't clear how much of the news conference was owner frustration boiling over, how much was showmanship — or in this case, showwomanship — between longtime rivals, and how much was to pressure a competitor and the city to address the situation.
Denise Fair Razo, Detroit's chief public health officer, told the Free Press on Saturday that Lafayette, at 118 W. Lafayette Blvd., was inspected Friday after a consumer complained about seeing rats while dining.
More: Health Department offers details about Lafayette Coney's rodent 'infestation' closure
The health officer said evidence of rat droppings was found in the eatery's basement.
Lafayette also was shut down in 2022 after a video of rodents in the restaurant was shared on social media, sparking public outrage and disgust and prompting a visit from the city health department.
The Free Press attempted to contact Lafayette Coney Island, which was closed.
In many ways, the side-by-side restaurants — with a competitive yet symbiotic relationship — have been part of Detroit's alluring charm and history for almost a century. A Coney dog, every Detroiter knows, is a frankfurter nestled in a soft, steamed bun covered with chili sauce. Visit Detroit, which promotes the city tourism, calls them "some of the best dogs in the D."
Gust Keros, a Greek immigrant, opened American Coney Island on West Lafayette Street in downtown Detroit in 1917, according to the Detroit Historical Society. A few years later, in 1924, Keros brought his brother William to Detroit to join the business.
William Keros opened Lafayette Coney Island when space opened up next door. It was passed down a generation, and then, after years of family ownership, sold in 1991 to its employees.
It was difficult Monday, Grace Keros said, to tell in just a few days whether her competitor's woes had hurt or helped her sales.
But over the years, the neighboring eateries have become a unique a tourist attraction, in a similar way to Philadelphia's competing nearby cheesesteak shops. In Detroit, instead of Gino's and Pat's, it's American and Lafayette — with fans proclaiming undying loyalty.
Grace Keros acknowledged more than once Monday that the two eateries had a long standing "love-hate" relationship, but claimed that for years, Lafayette was constantly riding her shop's coattails.
She said she had invited the news media to hear her out and see for themselves what her restaurant looked like, and even smelled like, noting that some customers complain about an antiseptic scent, which they likened to what might be found at an indoor pool.
But that smell, Keros said, means the place is clean.
In addition to news crews, Keros had a public relations representative on hand to help manage the event. Clarence Gayles, executive director of the Detroit Restaurant and Lodging Association, was there too.
He said that, in his view, despite the public concern, the quick closure of the other Coney Island meant the health inspection program was indeed working, and should instill confidence in it.
Keros also insisted to reporters, who questioned whether she was seizing the moment to stick it to her competitor, that she had no such motivation.
She just wanted, she said, to make the distinction between the restaurants clear.
Keros also took issue Monday with how some were telling the story of what happened.
Some news outlets during the weekend had reported the Lafayette Coney Island's closure was voluntary, which Keros chalked up to euphemistic language. The sign on the Lafayette Coney's door Monday, said it was 'Closed for remodling,' which Keros also took a swipe at.
The sign was, she implied, not only disingenuous, but it obviously was misspelled.
And she made a news media analogy, explaining to reporters that she had to defend her business because just as readers and viewers often can't distinguish between news outlets, diners often don't distinguish between similar eateries.
Even though she specifically said she was "not going to blame the city" for anything, Keros indirectly took aim at a bureaucratic and confusing health-inspection system that she indicated could be improved.
But as the news conference went on, Keros seemed to soften her tone. She took journalists down into her basement, which she said had been speakeasy during prohibition. She pointed out how every crack and crevice had been sealed up.
She also showed off her office, which is full of personal mementos, a profane, yet self-deprecating nameplate on her desk, a photo of her with celebrities Lilly Tomlin and Jane Fonda, and a matchbox-sized replica of the first car she owned, a 1979 Firebird.
At the end of her tour, Keros even offered the reporters mimosas.
Her ire stemming from the rodent problem mostly was reserved for her neighbor.
"You shouldn't be able to get away with that," she said of the rat problem. "Fix it or get out."
Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: American Coney Island owner outraged by Lafayette's rat problem
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