Coney Detroit

Lafayette and American Coney Islands

It is no problem for a thirty-year coneyman like Jerry Abu El Hawa to deliver four, five, six, or more plates of coneys and fries—and to still have one hand free for talking. Photo by Keith Burgess while Lafayette takes only cash. American serves Pepsi while Lafayette customers drink Coke. And Sweet Vidalia onions top American’s coneys while Lafayette uses Spanish ones. But nothing is more important than the chili. American’s tastes a bit spicier while Lafayette’s is beefier. Lafayette uses a secret Keros family recipe mixed in with a little chili from National Chili Company. American makes its own chili at a company it partly owns called Detroit Chili Company. “The chili is the main thing,” says Ali Alhalmi, one of Lafayette’s owners who usually can be seen tending the grill near the restaurant’s front window. He proudly notes that his coney island goes through at least three hundred pounds of ground hamburger a week. At both restaurants, the chili recipes are closely guarded. “It’s basically meat, spices, and onions,” says Danny Keros, American’s general manager and Gust’s grandson. “There are a few other things, but I can’t give you the whole secret.” Things weren’t always this way. According to Danny, both coney islands started out using the same hot dogs and the same chili. “Everything was exactly the same,” he says. “There was no difference.” Today the intense rivalry between Lafayette and American even includes a debate over which coney island opened first. American’s current operators, Danny and his cousin Grace Keros, like to boast that their restaurant dates back to 1917. Meanwhile, the owners of Lafayette claim the coney island got its start in 1914. American Coney Island expanded out to the point of its flat-iron shaped building where West Lafayette Boulevard and Michigan Avenue pinch together near Detroit’s Campus Martius. The table at the tip is great for people watching—or being watched. It can be hot on sunny mornings. (Photo by Rob Terwilliger) 7 Newcomers are surprised to see two coney island restaurants right next door to each other. Veterans take it for granted. There once was a third right next to Lafayette: State Coney Island. (Photo by Keith Burgess) Detroit city directories from the early twentieth century portray things differently. Other coney islands existed in Detroit before American and Lafayette. Records show the names of two other coney islands on West Lafayette Boulevard—the Original Coney Island and Orpheum Coney Island—though they didn’t last long. According to the directories, Lafayette Coney Island opened in 1923. Gust and Bill operated the coney island at 114 West Lafayette Boulevard, where American stands today. In the mid-1920s, the restaurant changed its name to the Lafayette Lunch Company. But differences between the brothers caused them to split up. The directories show that in 1931, Bill opened his own restaurant next door at 118 West Lafayette Boulevard, Lafayette’s current and only home, while Gust ran a hat-cleaning business. But in 1936 Gust launched his own restaurant, which became the American Coney Island. A year later, Bill went back to using the Lafayette Coney Island name. Gust and Bill were sheep herders from Dara, a small village in southern Greece. In search of a better life, Gust moved to Detroit, where he sold popcorn from a horse-drawn wagon and shined shoes before going into the coney business. Gust’s youngest son, Chuck Keros, says that his father, who died in 1971, never put on an apron. A stylish man, Gust wore spats, Borsalino hats, and suits from Scholnick’s, a Detroit haberdashery. Gust was active in local Greek organizations, helping other immigrants by hiring them for jobs at his restaurant. “My dad was a big sport,” Chuck recalls fondly. “He was very outgoing and everybody liked him. While Gust sported a mustache, his brother, Bill, was clean shaven. Bill helped found a Greek orthodox church in Detroit but most of his life was dedicated to running Lafayette, according to his oldest son, Tony Keros. He recalls his father, who died in 1970, as a very ethical and reserved man who would work at his restaurant during the day, go home for dinner, and return to his coney island in the evenings. Bill did everything, including...