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Grace Keros as press conference
The indignant owner of American Coney Island, Grace Keros, said Monday she's "pissed" that people are associating her business with her next door neighbor, Lafayette Coney Island, which the health department shut down last week because of a rat infestation.
She's concerned it's hurting her business and reputation.
"I'm pisssed, I've had it with people assuming whether it's Facebook posts, Twitter posts, even some media posts, about me, American Coney Island, being associated with Lafayette Coney Island," Keros said at a press conference at her restaurant on Lafayette Blvd. in the heart of downtown Detroit. A video of the press conference was posted on TV station websites including Fox 2.
"I have no connection to them," she said, adding, "We are not one of the same...Do not associate me, do not connect me, do not say some dumb stupid comments that they share the same wall" and therefore American Coney Island must have rats. She said her restaurant does not.
The two iconic restaurants have been in competition for decades, and for the second time in a little more than two years, Lafayette Coney Island has been shut down because of a rat infestation.
"To be compared and connected, and to have their nasty way of operating hinder my business is a problem," Keros said, emphasizing that American Coney Island does not have a rodent problem because it maintains its building and has a strict cleaning protocol.
"You do the basics.. it's a no brainer...You sweep, you mop, you clean the counters, you have sanitizing solutions, different for the floor, different for the counters...You have your daily list, you have your weekly list of deep cleaning, then then you go deep deep cleaning."
She said both restaurants have old buildings that "you have to maintain...you have to spend money to fix them. You can't let it decay."
"The Coney Island next door not only has a rat infestation problem but more serious, they have a building structural situation," Keros said. "Well, I'll be damned if I'm going to allow them to hinder my business or take me down along with their situation."
Rodents in business districts sometimes get into buildings that have infrastructure problems.
"I'm upset, and let me tell you, this is my reputation, this is my livelihood, my staff's livelihood and we actually care about our customers."
