The new Leo’s Coney Island Diner and Drive-Through on Jolly Road opened on November 27, 2023. “We’ve been busy from day one, which is good,” said Ali Alsidi, the son of franchise owner Alex Alsidi. Ali is twenty years old and studying corporate law, but he helps his father out with the restaurant. The Alsidi’s are from the nearby Milford area and also run restaurants in West Bloomfield, Birmingham, and Chesterfield in Macomb County. Now, the Lansing area has two Leo’s Coney Island locations, but the new restaurant off Jolly has a full-service menu. “You’ll get everything here. At the East Lansing location they don’t have wraps, for example,” said Ali.
The restaurant seats 172 people at a combination of four-top booths, freestanding tables, and intimate two-seater booths. Pendant lighting drops from high ceilings, and enormous stock art of palm trees gives this diner a relaxed and modern feel. But the staff has classic, old school charm. I watched them kindly making conversation with patrons, and they wouldn’t let me leave without taking a coney dog— on the house. The servers lined up for a few photos, and one even prepared Saganaki for a photo op. She lit up the classic pan-seared cheese appetizer while everyone shouted, “Opa!”
Ali has been helping his father with the restaurant business since he was a sophomore in high school. He said that helping him open this new location has been a great experience. “We’re happy to be here in Holt, the support has been amazing and everyone has welcomed us fully.” The restaurant has approximately 50 people on staff and they’re still looking to hire more.
Owner Alex Alsidi says that the restaurant is especially busy on Sundays. “People like to come here after church to have lunch. The last two Sundays, we’ve actually had a wait.”
Leo’s Coney Island is located at 2520 E Jolly Rd, Lansing, MI 48910. Call (517) 940-9578 or visit order.leosconeyisland.com for more information.