SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — Coney Island Lunch reopened Monday on Lackawanna Avenue, bringing a century-old Scranton tradition back to life after a major renovation of its longtime location.

The restaurant, established in 1923, has served generations of customers and is known for its Original Texas Wiener recipe. Basalyga Hospitality purchased Coney Island Lunch in December 2023 with plans to preserve the restaurant’s history while updating the space for a new generation of customers.

Pete and Bob Ventura, who carried on the Coney Island tradition for nearly 50 years, also helped the new team preserve familiar elements of the restaurant. General Manager Ty Snyder said the brothers taste-tested food and provided input as the team worked to keep the recipes and experience close to what longtime customers remembered.

Snyder added that the renovation involved extensive work on the building, including structural and design challenges. The project took about two years, while the final push to prepare the restaurant for reopening took roughly six months.

“We just really want you to walk in and feel like you’re transported back to the original Coney Island 50 years ago. So we really tried to keep that theme with the original pictures that were in the old Coney Island. The chairs, the floors, the ceilings, the walls, we wanted to keep it as retro as we could, but still modernize it a little bit because it’s still a brand-new building,” said Snyder.

The menu continues to feature the Texas Wiener and also includes a Texas Smashburger, chicken sandwich, fish sandwich, turkey club and sides. Snyder said the team intentionally kept the menu relatively small while still offering customers some variety.

The building also houses Raegan’s Ice Cream Shoppe, a new concept named after Basalyga Hospitality owner John Basalyga’s youngest daughter. The shop offers hard and soft ice cream, floats, sundaes, milkshakes, ice cream cakes and other desserts, giving customers a dessert option alongside the restaurant’s lunch menu.

Coney Island Lunch is located at 515 Lackawanna Ave. and is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Raegan’s Ice Cream Shoppe is open Friday through Sunday from noon to 10 p.m. For more information, visit Coney Island Lunch’s website.