What is the origin of Detroit's "coney island" hot dogs?

[brizee]

The way I heard it last summer:

The owner of American Coney Island was an immigrant. He tasted his first dog on Coney Island in New York. He liked it so much when he made his way to the D he just called the dogs coneys.

Not too complicated and it sounds believable to me.

[Bigdd]

The way I heard it last summer:

The owner of American Coney Island was an immigrant. He tasted his first dog on Coney Island in New York. He liked it so much when he made his way to the D he just called the dogs coneys.

Not too complicated and it sounds believable to me.

It's not true though. American isn't even the oldest coney in the area. Red Hots is.

The folks at American will say that they're the oldest in "Detroit",. and also that they were founded in 1917. What they won't easily admit to is that they were origionally a shoe-shine place, and didn't serve their first coney-dog until 1929.

Red Hots on Victor Street just East of Woodward started serving them in 1921.

[Trumpeteer]

It's not true though. American isn't even the oldest coney in the area. Red Hots is.

The folks at American will say that they're the oldest in "Detroit",. and also that they were founded in 1917. What they won't easily admit to is that they were origionally a shoe-shine place, and didn't serve their first coney-dog until 1929.

Red Hots on Victor Street just East of Woodward started serving them in 1921.

Sorry but you are so wrong. Many different sources of this same info on Detroit's Coney Islands. This one from Crain's 2013. Please note the reference to Gust shining shoes AND selling coney's from a cart at this location.

Not to get into a history lesson here, but the real story, as told by Grace Keros, the energetic, no-nonsense, highly competitive, totally captivating, third-generation owner of American Coney Island, goes something like this:
In 1903 Gust Keros, Grace's grandpa, immigrated to America from a southern Grecian city called Dara.
Keros, like so many immigrants, came to America through Ellis Island and headed to Detroit in search of a job.
Unable to find work, Keros began shining shoes and selling hotdogs with chili on them out of a cart on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Lafayette Boulevard.



A historical photo of Michigan Avenue and Lafayette Boulevard.

In 1917, Keros opened American Coney Island in the former of United Shirt Co. location in roughly the same place it sits today.
Shortly after opening American, Keros brought his brother to America, and his brother opened Lafayette Coney Island right next door using a different chili and hotdog.
About 25 years ago, she said, her uncle sold it to his employees, who still own it to this day.
Meanwhile, Gust's son Chuck took his place at the helm and Grace followed in her father's footsteps.
So the last time there was a true sibling rivalry among the two Coney businesses was about 25 years ago.

[Bigdd]

Sorry but you are so wrong. Many different sources of this same info on Detroit's Coney Islands. This one from Crain's 2013. Please note the reference to Gust shining shoes AND selling coney's from a cart at this location.

Many sources or one source?

You'll notice that all of the stories have the same source,.. the owner of American.
.

[Trumpeteer]

Many sources or one source?

You'll notice that all of the stories have the same source,.. the owner of American.
.

Let's see now, believe you and your opinion or that of the family of one of the original owners.

[Bigdd]

Let's see now, believe you and your opinion or that of the family of one of the original owners.

YOU actually heard Grace say that? With your own ears?

Or did you read an article where Grace probably told the reporter that they "Were the oldest coney place in "Detroit",.. and also,... that they started in business in 1917,... and then the reporter "presumed" that by that Grace meant that they started selling hot-dogs with chili on them in 1917 ?

I ask because I have spoken personally to the nephew of the founder of another coney place that claims to have been in business selling chili-dogs some 8 years before American started selling them.

[Trumpeteer]

I defer the the self acknowledged expert on Detroit Coney Island History. The key word to your expert testimonial is "claims". A lot "claim" to be first.

[Zads07]

YOU actually heard Grace say that? With your own ears?

Or did you read an article where Grace probably told the reporter that they "Were the oldest coney place in "Detroit",.. and also,... that they started in business in 1917,... and then the reporter "presumed" that by that Grace meant that they started selling hot-dogs with chili on them in 1917 ?

I ask because I have spoken personally to the nephew of the founder of another coney place that claims to have been in business selling chili-dogs some 8 years before American started selling them.

So what you're trying to argue against is the same argument you are presenting. You can't do that. You can't say you're wrong because someone from the family of American is saying that and turn around and say that you talked to someone from the family of another coney place and that you're right. Your argument is nill.