7am News, Sports and Obits
Latest WGIL news
Click to play or
Right click and "Save Target As" to download
Click for Galesburg, Illinois Forecast
Home - Cancellations - Community Events - Contact Us - Mornings - News - Obituaries - Pictures - Programs - Special Events Audio - Sports - Weather
Hot Dog! Local Restaurant Marks Milestone
The Galesburg Historical Society has honored a downtown restaurant with an important distinction.

A plaque has been placed on the front of Coney Island on South Cherry Street in recognition of being the oldest continuously-operating restaurant in the city, at 90 years old. The plaque was dedicated Friday.

Historical Society president Ron Peck tells WGIL like many, he feels like he's personally connected to the restaurant and what it's known for.

"It's the hot dogs," Peck said. "I also work for G&M Distributors; I was a Pepsi man for 30 years, so I love the soft drink motif they have here. I have a lot of connections here: family and business, and I just love the hot dogs also."

Jesus Valdez has owned Coney Island for the past eight years. He says he didn't have an understanding of how much the restaurant meant to its customers until they started telling him stories of "the old days."

Mayor Sal Garza proclaimed the first week in January "Coney Island Week."


(Jesus Valdez, owner of Coney Island, unveils the plaque in his restaurant's honor Friday.)


(Mayor Sal Garza issues a proclamation for the Valdez family Friday.)


(WGIL News Story and Photos by Will Stevenson.)
12 24 11 by Newsroom
News management powered by Xpression News

Click here for the WGIL News Archive

Click here for national news

The following provision applies to all visitors (which shall include persons and representatives of legal entities, whether such representatives are persons or digital engines of a kind that crawls, indexes, scrapes, copies, stores or transmits digital content). By accessing this Web site or digital service, you specifically acknowledge and agree that: (i) Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium; (ii) No Associated Press materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use; (iii) The Associated Press will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing; (iv) The Associated Press is an intended third party beneficiary of these terms and conditions and it may exercise all rights and remedies available to it; and (v) The Associated Press reserves the right to audit possible unauthorized commercial use of AP materials or any portion thereof at any time.