After a voluntary closure spanning five weeks, Detroit's Lafayette Coney Island has been cleared to resume operations, serving its loyal customers again. The well-known eatery had its doors shut on January 24, following an inspection by the Detroit Health Department, which uncovered a rat infestation. This incident marks the second closure due to rodents in the past two years, with the previous incident occurring in September 2022. According to Audacy, co-owner Sam Seferi expressed that the closure period posed a significant challenge, particularly for the staff, with the business losing two employees who found work elsewhere during the interim.
The announcement of the reopening was substantiated by thorough measures taken by the restaurant to rectify the issues that led to the closure. Structural amendments, including the filling up of holes and open areas in walls, alongside new protocols for food storage and waste management, were part of the extensive efforts to address the health concerns. "Everything is fixed up. We are ready to go," Seferi quoted by CBS News Detroit. In addition to structural upgrades, the staff at Lafayette Coney Island has undergone retraining in sanitation and food safety.
Denise Fair Razo, the Chief Public Health Officer, has reaffirmed the commitment of the health department to protect Detroit's residents through the Dining with Confidence Ordinance. She mentioned that the restaurant took the responsible step of voluntarily closing and has made commendable progress. "It’s night and day, literally from the new lighting, from the modernized equipment they have in place," Fair Razo noted, as reported by FOX 2 Detroit. The upgraded restaurant, featuring all-new equipment and fixtures, passed the health inspection with no residual concerns.
