Lafayette Coney Island Reopens Following Reports of Rat Infestation | Eater Detroit

"After passing a health inspection on Monday, March 3, the downtown hot‑dog institution reopened following a closure of more than a month; at a March 4 news conference the city’s chief public health officer Denise Fair Razo told reporters that the restaurant was cleared to reopen and said, “Everything is brand new,” and, “It’s night and day from the new lighting, from the modernized equipment they have in place.” The diner had shuttered voluntarily on Saturday, January 25, after a customer reported seeing rats; mitigation steps taken include deep cleaning and sanitizing, modernizing equipment, improving food storage practices, training all staff on cleaning protocols, and sealing any potential entries for pests. Sam Seferi, a partner at the restaurant, added that the team has been working closely with the health department and that crews have installed a new floor, painted the lower level, and added a new compressor. This was the second closure in less than three years: in September 2022 the health department closed the eatery after being notified of a video on social media showing rodents. The business dates back to 1924 when William “Bill” Keros opened it next door to a rival founded by his brother Gust Keros in 1917, and the most recent closure highlighted a decades‑long rivalry that typically involves fan debates over who makes the best chili‑laden hot dog. Grace Keros, owner of the neighboring rival, held a news conference to dispel confusion, saying, “I’m pissed and I’m annoyed [by the] ignorance of people who want to assume that we’re one and the same. We are not one and the same, we’re totally different, and that’s all. So finally, once and for all, I had to clear this up. It’s ridiculous,” and, “It’s like Channel 4, Channel 7, Channel 2, CBS… They all group you all in as fake news media. Well, maybe one isn’t [and] one is, I don’t know, but you don’t like to be associated like that, do you?” The restaurant pushed back publicly as well, calling for city support and posting on Facebook: “...The true Detroit Spirit is to help and raise each other up!.. It’s easy for American Coney Island to blame us. But who can really say the rats [aren’t] coming from them to our side?”" - Serena Maria Daniels