MANSFIELD — Aubrey Caugherty said she saw sales plummet at her downtown eatery after the city of Mansfield began its Main Street Corridor Improvement project in February 2025.
After 11 stressful months, the owner of the Coney Island Diner has decided to put the business up for sale.
“We feel like we need to go in a different direction,” Caugherty said Thursday, her voice cracking a bit.
Caugherty and her husband Greg purchased the business in 2022 from Jim and Cathy Smith, who operated the Coney Island Diner for more than 30 years.
Caugherty said the business’ sales have declined by around $100,000 since the Main Street project began.
“Once the (Main Street) project is done, it’s going to be fantastic for whoever takes (the diner) over,” she said. “But I can’t wait that long.”
Caugherty said the business will continue to operate until it’s sold. She is currently the only server, running the business along with a dishwasher and two cooks. Her mother stood next to her behind the counter Thursday morning, folding napkins.
“I’m definitely going to miss the people. I love waiting on tables,” Caugherty said. “We get people from everywhere.”
The business is listed for $105,000 by The Holden Agency. While the building itself is not for sale, Caugherty said nearly everything inside the restaurant will be conveyed with the business — including equipment, booths, memorabilia and the diner’s recipes.
Caugherty said she supports the Main Street project, but wishes it were planned in a way that minimized the impact on downtown businesses.
“I know it needs to happen. I just wish it would have happened in stages,” she said. “Maybe it wouldn’t have affected us so bad.”
The Coney Island Diner is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free parking is available on the surrounding streets and in nearby the municipal parking lot.
Coney Island has been a ‘downtown staple’ for decades
The Coney Island Diner is thought to be the oldest continuously operating restaurant in downtown Mansfield. It was founded by a Greek immigrant who went by an Americanized name — John George.
George started off selling his famous coney sauce with crackers to factory workers. Around 1919, he opened Coney Island in a small, ten-foot wide building with just a counter and stools, serving a simple menu of coneys, pie and chili.
George moved his business to Coney Island’s current location in 1936.
“Coney Island has long been a downtown staple, and we appreciate the dedication of those who have stewarded it over the years, said Jennifer Kime, CEO of Downtown Mansfield Inc.
“Its sale opens the door for new energy and ideas in a downtown that’s actively evolving,” Kime said.
Mayor Jodie Perry called the diner a “mainstay in downtown Mansfield.”
“I have enjoyed working with and getting to know the Caugherty Family during their ownership time. I am sad to see them sell, because I know how much they enjoyed it, but wish them all the best,” Perry said.
“The business is a great opportunity for someone looking to be a part of a vibrant downtown, with a completely remodeled streetscape opening this fall,” she said.
City removed parking meters along Main Street, side streets to encourage more downtown traffic
For much of last year, lane and road closures made it cumbersome for patrons to go downtown. Some businesses experienced utility interruptions after construction workers encountered unexpected utility lines not included on local infrastructure maps.
“The Main Street construction is one of the largest public infrastructure projects the City has had in many years,” Perry said. “When a road is 200 years old, and pipes are over 100 years old, it is impossible to fix it without digging it up.”
Nichole Hamilton, owner of Hamilton’s on Main, was one of several business owners who said they saw fewer customers amid the roadwork.
“[Business] has definitely been affected. I would say probably 40% at least,” she told reporters last June.
Other business owners said the impact of the Main Street project has been minimal.
Joyce Wells, CEO of the Richland Carrousel Park, said the park’s sales haven’t been affected. The park is currently closed for renovations, but will reopen on Jan. 22.
“We’re doing just fine. Our phone is ringing off the hook for birthday parties,” she said.
Perry said she’s well aware of the strain the project has put on businesses.
She said the city has tried to work with businesses through grants, communication with owners and other behind-the-scenes support.
“I come from a family of small business owners and know how stressful it is when things like this happen,” she said. “We will continue to work with them through the completion of the project in October.”
The city has also removed parking meters on Main Street and some side streets in an effort to encourage residents to visit downtown. The meters will be gone through the end of the project, Perry said.
She encouraged Mansfield residents to continue patronizing local businesses.
“The best way for people to help is to keep coming down and supporting them,” she said. “We have the free municipal parking lot open at Fourth and Main, meters have been removed throughout much of the downtown, and the road is once again open to through traffic.”
What’s next for the Main Street project?
Main Street is currently open, though some pedestrian detours remain.
While permanent lighting is set to be installed over the winter, construction will mostly pause until the spring, according to a Facebook post from Downtown Mansfield Inc.
City engineer Bob Bianchi said construction will pick up in April, while electrical, signal and foundation work will be ongoing through the winter.
“The roadway has opened up to local and through traffic,” he said. “Construction areas have been blocked off to keep pedestrian safe and maintain a walkable path through much of the corridor.”
Bianchi said the spring will bring road closures, but the city’s hope is that they won’t be as impactful as last year’s.
Those road closures will be more concentrated on the southern half of Main Street, from First to Third Street, and Park Avenue between Walnut and Diamond, Bianchi said.
What is the Main Street Corridor Improvement Project?
The Main Street Corridor Improvement Project began in late February 2025. City officials say it should be complete by October.
The $19.3 million overhaul includes a complete upgrade of Main Street from First to Sixth streets and of Park Avenue from Main Street to Diamond streets.
Every part of the streetscape along the corridor is being upgraded during the project, including:
- Converting the traffic pattern on Main Street from one-way to two-way
- New water lines and storm sewers
- New sidewalks and brick crosswalks
- New signage and traffic signals
- New landscaping and lighting
- New landscaping, furniture, and gathering spaces in Central Park and in the plazas at Park Avenue West and Main Street
The project is being paid for through 14 funding streams that combine federal, state, local and philanthropic funds. The city’s share is less than $3.5 million; the Richland County Foundation is contributing $800,000.
