Flint’s Coney Island Legacy: The Immigrant Story Behind a Michigan Icon

Few Flint residents know that one of the city’s most beloved traditions began with immigrants from a tiny mountain village in North Macedonia.

In this episode of Radio Free Flint, host Arthur Busch welcomes Karen Paul Holmes, daughter of Carl Paul, co-founder of Angelo’s Coney Island—the restaurant that helped define Flint’s working-class culture for decades.

Carl Paul came to America through Ellis Island from Bouf, Macedonia, near the border with Greece. Alongside his partner Angelo Nikoloff, he built a local landmark where factory workers, families, and students gathered for the now-legendary Flint-style Coney dog.

Karen reflects on her family’s journey—from her father’s long days behind the grill to her teenage summers waitressing at Angelo’s. Through her poetry, she brings to life the spirit of perseverance, gratitude, and belonging that defines the immigrant story.

She reads three deeply personal poems:

• A warm portrait of her father returning home after long days at the restaurant
• A tribute to his departure from Bouf, Macedonia, in search of the American dream
• A lyrical meditation on Michigan’s lakes, cherry trees, and her father’s love for his adopted home

Karen’s second poetry collection, No Such Thing as Distance (Terrapin Books, 2018), even includes a near-recipe for Flint-style Coney sauce. Her poems have been read by Garrison Keillor on The Writer’s Almanac and by former U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith on The Slowdown podcast.

Her debut book, Untying the Knot (Aldrich Press, 2014), explores loss, love, and healing. Holmes’s work appears in over 100 literary journals and anthologies, and she was named Best Emerging Poet by Stay Thirsty Media.

🎧 Listen now to explore Flint’s immigrant heritage, the poetry of place, and the story of how a humble Coney Island became part of Michigan’s cultural DNA.

🔗 Links & References

• Karen Paul Holmes — Official Website
  
  
• No Such Thing as Distance — Terrapin Books
  
  
• The Writer’s Almanac — Episode Archive
  
  
• The Slowdown Podcast — Episode featuring Karen Paul Holmes
  
  
• Radio Free Flint — More Episodes

The Mitten Channel is a network of podcasts.  

👉 Subscribe to Radio Free Flint Podcasts at The Mitten Channel:

• Don't miss our full investigative Podcasts:
  • Radio Free Flint: The community perspective on industrial resilience.
  • The Mitten Works: Labor history and economic policy analysis.
  • Flint Justice: Legal and institutional analysis of the state's challenges.
• Visit Our Website for both Podcasts, Videos & Articles.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction: Karen Paul Holmes, Author and Poet
• 1:25 Poetry Reading: Daddy Comes Home from Angelo’s Coney Island, Flint, Michigan
• 3:34 Growing up in Flint in a Macedonian Family
• 4:31 Waitressing at Angelo's Coney Island Back in the Day
• 7:15 The Famous Angelo's Recipe
• 8:55 Poetry Reading By Karen Paul Holmes My Father: Man with Three Names
• 11:00 The founding of Angelo's Coney Island
• 14:46 Poetry Reading #3 by Karen Paul Holmes, LOADED
• 16:32 St Nicholas Orthodox Church, the center of Flint immigrants from Eastern Europe, food and family life
• 21:07 Author Karen Paul Holmes discusses her first and second collection of poems. See the link to purchase her book No Such Thing as Distance
• 31:04 How Flint shaped Karen's views, career and contribute to her success as a poet. Are you a Flintstone?
• 35:06 Conclusion: The Sounds of Lake Michigan by Arthur Busch