DETROIT (WXYZ) — The iconic Lafayette Coney Island in downtown Detroit has been issued a cease and desist order by the health department over rodent concerns.
The health department says they were alerted by social media posts showing rats inside the restaurant. A responding health inspector then found rat droppings inside the restaurant on Tuesday, but not any rats.
“We did see substantial evidence that suggested there were rodents running throughout the facility in the form of droppings,” Detroit Chief Public Health Officer Denise Fair Razo said. "That is a huge violation that goes against our food code and that does require a shutdown.”
Fair Razo says while the restaurant immediately shut down, they opened up again later that night leading to the cease and desist posted on the door Wednesday.
“We worked very closely with Lafayette. They were really compliant. They temporarily and voluntarily shut down their facility, but they reopened later that afternoon,” Fair Razo said. "So what we did this morning is we issued a cease and desist."
The owner's son Samir Provic claims the restaurant didn't reopen.
"We voluntarily shut down to clean up. We cleaned up all day yesterday, went home, came back today," Provic said. "We haven’t reopened. We want to fix the problem completely."
Staff were on site Wednesday discussing renovation plans for the basement, where holes leave an avenue for rats to get in.
“It’s an old building, very old building. We got a small basement. There’s a bunch of holes that she said we need to patch up to fix up,” Provic said. "What we’re doing now is we’re actually discussing to bring a renovation company in to fix the whole basement — that’s the plan.”
Longtime customers who came by Wednesday for a Coney, unaware of the news, had mixed reactions.
“A state of shock because we've been coming here for decades,” customer Donna Davis said.
“Been coming here since I was a kid," customer Marchand Smith said. "The rat problem? Yeah that’s very disappointing. It's not surprising, but really disappointing.”
While the health department says it’s the first time they found evidence of rats inside Lafayette, the issue is still serious. Until the matter is resolved, the Detroit icon will stay closed.
"I know Lafayette is a staple in our city. I go there, I enjoy their food. But I do want to make sure Lafayette is producing food in a safe clean environment without rodents,” Fair Razo said. "We do plan to return, probably in the next couple days to see if it’s safe to open."
Provic said, “When it comes to the food and the preparation of the food, they got nothing to worry about. They never had anything to worry about.”
With basement renovations likely to begin soon, the owner said it will probably be a few weeks before the restaurant will reopen for business.
