Nebraska Passport Program: Coney Island acts as a time capsule to early day restaurants

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KLKN)- According to George Kaltrouzos, the owner of Coney Island in Grand Island, the secret to success is easy.

“We’ve always stayed the same, 1933 we started. Been here 88 years about to be 89 years next month, just nostalgic,” said Kaltrouzos.

Coney Island has been a staple in our state since the Great Depression, when George’s grandfather moved his family out of Chicago and into Nebraska.

And with nearly a century in the business, Coney Island has had its share of repeat customers.

“People come from coast to coast there in the summertime, May to Labor Day. We still get some of the most around holidays and all the people come around,” he said.

The menu stays small, so they can make sure everything on the menu is top notch.

“We got homemade fries, malts and homemade chili, that’s a big hit, Kaltrouzos said. “[The] burgers are good too.”

But what really keeps people coming back?

Kaltrouzos said it’s the Coney Island Hotdog with their secret sauce.

“Mustard, onion, chili comes on it, that’s our homemade sauce,” he said. “Had a guy the daughter called, he was dying back in the mid-90s. He wanted to get my dad’s chili with him. So we shipped it out there and it hit the newspaper. Dying man gets his last two wishes: Nebraska winning the national championship and I guess his chili.”

88 years later, Kaltrouzos still holds on to a lesson from his grandfather and dad, ‘don’t work too hard.’

“And here we are about to be 89 years coming up like this,” he said. “You work and you just made your living having fun.”

Kaltrouzos said his hours are around 9 a.m. to 5 a.m., Monday through Friday and until 3 p.m. on Saturday, but don’t be surprised if he leaves a little early or opens a little late.

While Coney Island has its own following, The Nebraska Passport is spreading the word about this Nebraska Institution.

“The people are always the fun part, get to see a lot of people, friends and people you haven’t seen for a while, all part of the fun of working,” Kaltrouzos said.

If you are in the neighborhood, stop by the shop for lunch.

It’s like stepping into a time capsule, where you get to experience true Nebraska Nice.