Business & Tech

Farmington Restaurant Owners Seek Signage to Keep Dream Alive

Yesterday's Coney Island co-owner Brad Ahlijian hopes larger signs will bring his restaurant out from the shadow cast by an empty "big box" store.

Editor's Note: This story is part of a new Patch initiative that chronicles the pursuit of the American dream in communities across the United States.

Brad Ahlijian came to Monday night's Farmington City Council meeting looking for help to keep his dream alive.

He's a co-owner of , tucked in a corner of the Halsted Village shopping mall at Halsted and Grand River. A few years ago, being 500 feet away from the street wasn't a problem. Then the retail giant Kmart, the mall's anchor tenant, closed its doors at that location.

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"I've worked here since I was 19," Ahlijian said Tuesday afternoon sitting in a booth in the nearly empty restaurant. "That's 14 years."

Four years ago, he and Bill Hanton bought the place. And at first, they did well.

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"It was OK, we were making it," Ahlijian said. "It was a slower Kmart, but it helped us — more than I knew."

Initially, the restaurant had money in the bank, so the losses weren't as noticeable. By the end of the year, Yesterday's Coney Island was suffering $9,000 a month in revenue losses.

Having a loyal customer base has helped; about 80 percent of the restaurant's business comes from regulars. Ahlijian really appreciates their business. "I could use about 100 more of them," he said.

When Kmart was open, Hanton recalls, "we had a captive audience." Customers were often lined up outside the door. Now the business has to rely on other measures to draw customers in — such as signage.

The restaurant received a zoning variance to put up a banner sign, but only for a limited time. The business also has had employees carry signs on the Grand River boulevard.

Signage, Ahlijian told city officials Monday, brings in 25-30 more customers a day.

City Manager Vince Pastue said Monday that the city has handed out more citations for improper signage than in years past, particularly outside the downtown business district. He told Ahlijian that if a sign was attached to the existing Halsted Village sign, "that would be a conforming use. The sign would have to be rigid."

Pastue said he was willing to help by working with the owner of the center to find a spot for the sign.

City Council member JoAnne McShane said the conversation was "a great first step."

"These are unique circumstances and unique times," she said. "I don't have a problem at all with coming to terms with a compromise on signage."

While Mayor Tom Buck alluded to the possibility of the restaurant moving to a busier location, Ahlijian said Tuesday that option is just too expensive. He also can't bring himself to compromise on the quality of his food by buying cheaper products.

Yesterday's Coney Island signature dishes include hot chicken pasta and chicken Greek salad — with marinated chicken and original dressing — along with $1 coneys, gyros and other Coney Island staples, all of which are made with the same quality and care as always, Ahlijian said.

"If I was getting people saying ... 'Ah, the food's not that good,' I'd probably close," he said. "But people are always telling me it's great food. That's one thing I can't do is change the quality."

He hopes that a sign, correctly made and sized so it can be seen by drivers in the 45-50 mph traffic on Grand River, will provide the extra boost Yesterday's Coney Island needs.

"I'm not saying the sign will turn everything around," he said. "But it helps."

For Ahlijian, the restaurant isn't just a business — it's his dream. While he was growing up in Westland, he admits, he got into some trouble. But when he moved to Farmington in his late teens, he found a whole different world — and a fresh start.

"I really am happy I'm still here," he said. "I love to cook. I always wanted to be in this business."


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