WATERFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — Walt's Original Coney Island in Waterford Township is turning 90 this year, and the restaurant is marking the milestone with deals for customers on National Hot Dog Day.
The restaurant, located off M-59 near Cass and Elizabeth Lake roads, first opened in Pontiac in 1936 — when gas cost 16 cents per gallon, Franklin D. Roosevelt was president and the average annual household income was around $1,700.
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By the mid-1950s, the restaurant moved to its current Waterford location.
Owner Joyce Yack said the legacy of the restaurant, founded by a man named Walter Traicoff, is something she takes seriously.
"It's an honor to carry on the legacy that started all of this," Yack said.
Yack said the regulars are what keep the business going.
"It's the regulars that keep me floating. I have people that come every day and certain days of the week. I just love it," Yack said.
Customers say the consistency across three owners is a big part of the appeal.
"The food, it's always been the same for years. Exactly the same," Wateford resident Alfred Gulda said.
"I mean, it's just a fabulous place. We come here three times a week. When they do my autopsy, they'll probably find a hot dog in me, I don't know," Chris Abbuhl of West Bloomfield said.
"Best coneys you can get." Detroit native Bill King said. "I never had a Coney that good."
"I eat them all over the country. This is one of the best," longtime customer Joe George said.
For 82-year-old Nancy Dunn, who has been coming to Walt's since she was 5 years old, the restaurant carries deep personal meaning — a tradition started by her father.
"Just talking about it brings tears to my eyes," Dunn said. "It was just us — him and I. It's still this place that makes me remember when I was little, when the kids were little and now the grandkids are little."
On Wednesday, National Hot Dog Day, Walt's is offering 90-cent hot dogs, fountain drinks and ice cream. Customers can also participate in a raffle and order a special bundle in honor of the restaurant's founding year.
"You can buy eight Coneys for $18.26. With tax, it comes to $19.36," Yack said.
