Type Private Number of locations 21 | Industry Fast food Founded 1923 | |
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Headquarters Houston, Texas, United States Key people Darrin Straughan (President) Products Hot dogs (Coney Island hot dogs), Hamburgers, French fries, Milkshakes, Soft drinks Founders James Papadakis, Tom Papadakis Profiles | ||
James Coney Island, Inc. is a chain of fast food restaurants that specializes in Coney Island hot dogs. It has its headquarters, the James Coney Island Support Center, located in Suite 700 in the 11111 Katy Freeway building in Houston.
History
The company was founded in 1923 by two Greek immigrant brothers, James and Tom Papadakis; the former being the company's namesake. The original James Coney Island restaurant was one of the first major hot dog vendors in Houston.
The business was family-owned and operated from its inception until 1990, when it was sold to private investors.
The location in Downtown Houston opened in 1975. In 2010 the chain announced that the location was closing after a dispute with the landlord of 815 Dallas, the building housing the location. The chain previously had a location in Downtown at 110 Walker, which served as the number one location of the chain. The 110 Walker location opened in 1923; previously the restaurant was located in a smaller facility on Rusk Street. The chain's number two location opened in the Town & Country Mall area in 1968. In 1993 110 Walker closed after the restaurant management discovered that the building was being condemned by the city, in favor of building a high rise on the property.