DETROIT (WXYZ) — After voluntarily closing just over a month ago to resolve a rat problem, Lafayette Coney Island is expected to re-open Tuesday, the Detroit Health Department said.
The restaurant voluntarily closed on Friday, Jan. 24, after the Detroit Health Department shared reports of rats inside the restaurant.
Watch today's press conference
The health department says that the restaurant fully cooperated and has since passed an inspection. Lafayette's owner said that the restaurant could have opened sooner.
"I want to applaud (Lafayette Coney Island) for voluntarily closing," said Denise Fair Razo, the chief public health officer for the Detroit Health Department. "They decided this was the right thing to do."
Last week, Owner Sam Seferi showed off the upgrades to our Simon Shaykhet.
See some of the upgrades in the video below
The new changes to the facility include:
- New efforts to prevent future rat infestations
- A deep clean
- New lighting
- Modernized equipment
- Strengthened food storage
- Upgraded Waste Management
The health department is unsure where the rats came from, but the entrances where the rats could potentially come in have been sealed. They also said a pest inspector will be coming in on a weekly basis.
"Come back," Seferi said "There is no more concern, everything is fixed up, we are ready to go."
"Lafayette is a staple and we want to maintain it," Fair Razo said.
