This post originally appeared in Model D.
American Coney Island, one of downtown Detroit's two landmark coney island restaurants, is expanding both at home and across the U.S.
The 95-year-old downtown restaurant at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Griswold Street has opened new locations in Canton and Las Vegas. The iconic, family-owned restaurant now has locations at its original building, suburban Detroit, a Las Vegas casino/hotel, Ford Field and the Detroit Zoo. The company now employs 65 people after hiring 44 new employees in the last year, but doesn't expect to expand any more in the foreseeable future.
"We're good for right now," says Grace Keros, who co-owns American Coney Island with her brother Chris Sotiropoulos. "I have enough to keep me busy."
The new Canton location opened last weekend at 44532 Michigan Ave. The restaurant seats 50 people and offers a drive-thru. "It's a nice location and great place to cater to the people out there," Keros says.
The American Coney Island in Las Vegas opened last year at The D Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. Keros says her family chose to expand in Las Vegas because it's a unique destination spot with a strong Detroit following. "Las Vegas was just the right move," Keros says.
Source: Grace Keros, who co-owns American Coney Island
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
Flickr photo by stevendepolo.
Take a look at Detroit's favorite hot dog, the coney, as chronicled in Coney Detroit by Katherine Yung And Joe Grimm.
