What's a coney dog and why do Windsorites love them? These pros say it's in our history

The coney dog, a hotdog with chili-like sauce, is popular in Michigan

But Allard said they strive to be different, making their coneys out of all-local ingredients, including custom hotdogs from Deda's Meats and Deli.  

"We came up with that sauce that we thought everybody would like and it's … more unique," he said. 

"We've heard people say, 'you're the most authentic on this side of the border.' Or other people get mad at us, 'you're not authentic because we're not bringing over the stuff from Detroit.'"

Customers say coneys bring back memories

Regardless, coney dogs inspire a lot of memories and strong feelings in his customers, Allard says.  

"I just had a lady last week that had ours for the first time and it brought back memories of when she was a kid and used to go to the States with her mom," Allard said. "Started crying on me. But it's making people feel good. It's nice to hear the stories and hear the memories from people."

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Just down the street, Brandon Lunansky opened Lunansky's Coney Island, also in August. 

"Couldn't get a Coney dog, couldn't cross the border," he said, of the idea that sprung up during the pandemic. "I figured … we deserve a Coney Island here.

He says he's been "hooked ever since" he ate his first coney when he was 17 or 18. 

"It's kind of a Windsor, Detroit area food. You know, we got the Windsor pizza and this is kind of the only other one," Lunansky said.

'It's the snap of that dog'

"It's a nostalgic thing. Whether you grew up eating it from a baby or a teenager, you know, you get hooked. It's the snap of that dog and then the coney sauce."

Lunansky says he still sees the love of coneys among autoworkers, hearkening back to the coney dog's roots, with their location in Ford City.