West Monroe, Louisiana — Whether it is a pep rally at Neville, a lunch drop-off at Barkdull Faulk, a holiday visit to the Ouachita Council on Aging, or a quiet walk through the bleachers at a West Monroe football game, the words follow him like a heartbeat.
“There goes Chris.”
It is more than a name. It is a symbol. A signal that someone is showing up to serve, not to be seen. That someone is there to give, not to gain. And for six years, Chris Lewis, the owner of Coney Island Connection, has turned those three words into a way of life.
This week, as his legendary West Monroe diner celebrates its sixth anniversary, the city is not just saluting his chili cheese dogs, they are celebrating the man who brings meaning to the menu.
A Community Fed with Heart
Coney Island Connection reopened under Chris Lewis’s leadership in June of 2019, breathing new life into a once-shuttered spot that had long been a staple in West Monroe. He doubled the seating, refreshed the walls with West Monroe school pride, added funnel cake fries to the lineup, and earned the title of Best Chili Cheese Dog in the Ark-La-Miss.
But what defines Coney Island Connection today is not just the food. It is the heart behind the counter.
Chris Lewis uses the diner as a launchpad for service. He buys fireworks for neighborhood kids on the Fourth of July, so no child has to sit out the celebration. He hands out gift cards to cafeteria workers at Carroll and Neville. He delivers meals to teachers at West Monroe Junior High and Wossman, sometimes unannounced, always unselfish. He sponsors uniforms, covers
“There goes Chris.”
It is more than a name. It is a symbol. A signal that someone is showing up to serve, not to be seen. That someone is there to give, not to gain. And for six years, Chris Lewis, the owner of Coney Island Connection, has turned those three words into a way of life.
There Goes Chris
