A Michigan-style diner with a hard-luck backstory is preparing to open its doors on U.S. 19 in Holiday. Dante Guarascio, who runs Detroit Coney Island with his wife, Barbara, told Business Debut the family plans to open the new location in early November at 1908 U.S. 19, bringing their Detroit-style comfort food back to Pasco County after Hurricane Helene flooded their home and newer businesses.
According to Business Debut, the Holiday location will operate as a full-service, family-style restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Guarascio described the format as a traditional Coney Island-style diner, noting that in Detroit-area slang, “Coney Island” is simply another word for diner. The menu is expected to include Detroit Coney hot dogs, burgers, grilled chicken gyros, fried walleye fish platters, salads, pierogi platters and deli corned beef sandwiches, per the outlet's report.
The Detroit-style Coney dog itself has deep roots back in Michigan. As Visit Detroit explains, the classic version is a beef frankfurter on a steamed bun topped with meatless-bean chili, diced white onions and mustard — the same basic formula Detroit Coney Island has served since it first arrived in Pinellas County.
A Family Business Built Over More Than a Decade
Dante and Barbara Guarascio began building out their Florida business back in 2010, according to the same Business Debut account, eventually launching a Detroit Coney Island location on Clearwater Beach in 2014. They later added a Palm Harbor location, which they operated for more than eight years before selling both the Clearwater Beach and Palm Harbor spots in 2024 to slow down and consider retirement.
That retirement plan didn't last long. The couple went on to build a smaller, fast-casual Detroit Coney Island on Island Estates in Clearwater Beach and opened an ice cream shop in memory of Guarascio's mother, the report states. Then Hurricane Helene hit in 2024, flooding the family's home along with their new businesses.
“We got wiped out,” Guarascio said, per Business Debut's reporting. The family relocated to their home in Detroit for about 18 months while they waited for clarity on insurance and relief, and Guarascio said FEMA assistance never materialized.
A Food Truck Pointed the Way Back
The path back to Florida ran through a food truck. Guarascio built a Detroit Coney Island food truck and began operating it on the road in December 2025, and that truck ultimately led to the Holiday opportunity, according to Business Debut. Guarascio separately operates a company in Valrico that builds food trucks and trailers, and Detroit Coney Island has since started franchising its own trucks, with one franchise truck currently on the road and additional interest from prospective operators, the outlet reports.
The broader Coney Island tradition the Guarascios are drawing on stretches back more than a century in Michigan. Detroit Historical Society notes that hundreds of Coney Island restaurants operate across the state today, including larger Detroit-area chains like Leo's and National. Todoroff's Original Coney Island in Jackson, Michigan, is considered the state's first Coney restaurant, founded in 1914, while American Coney Island opened in downtown Detroit in 1917, with Lafayette Coney Island following next door in 1924 — the two rivals still operating side by side on Lafayette Street nearly a century later, per Visit Detroit.
Opening Timeline and Planned Hours
Detroit Coney Island is awaiting final inspections at the Holiday site, and the team had hoped to open by October 27, Business Debut reports. Guarascio said the business is now targeting the first or second week of November instead.
Once open, the diner plans to run from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and from 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. the following day on Fridays and Saturdays, according to the outlet. Sunday hours are set for 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., with the restaurant closed on Mondays. The extended weekend hours are meant to serve late-night traffic from nearby bars and clubs, reflecting a concept built around accessible diner fare and consistent hours for both regulars and late-night guests, per Business Debut's reporting.
