Coney I-Lander

The Coney I-Lander restaurants are a regional chain based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Their signature dish is a small slow-grilled hot dog topped with chili, onions, and mustard, sitting in a steamed bun. The restaurants also serve small tamales, and spaghetti topped with the same chili used on the coneys. The name of the restaurant is derived from Coney Island, the New York City amusement park and vacation destination of the early 1900s.

Coney I-Lander
TypePrivate
IndustryRestaurants
Founded1926 (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
FounderChrist Economou
Headquarters
Tulsa, Oklahoma
,
USA
ProductsFast food
Websitewww.coneyi-lander.com

The chain dates to 1926, when Greek immigrant Christ Economou opened his first location in downtown Tulsa.[1] The restaurant was one of the first to sell chili and was named "Coney Island in Tulsa" until 1983, a year in which the eateries sold more than 600,000 hot dogs.[2] At the downtown restaurant rows of "coneys" on the grill are visible to those standing outside on the sidewalk.[3] Antique school desks are used as seating at the original downtown location, a tradition started by the founder, who believed they offered each customer a personal space.

An oral history of the restaurant was given to Voices of Oklahoma in 2011 by the founder's son, Jim Economou. [4]

References
  1. Cauthron, Matt (July 28, 2006). "One hot dog: How Tulsa became a coney town". Journal Record. Archived from the original on February 17, 2010.
  2. "Chili Oklahoma Historical Society's Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture". Archived from the original on 2012-11-19. Retrieved 2008-11-28.
  3. Let's Eat: Tulsa's Own By Scott Cherry 1/25/2008 Tulsa World
  4. Voices of Oklahoma, Jim Economou, 3/7/2011


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