John's Grill in Detroit is the safest in the most dangerous city in America

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John's Grill is the only diner without bulletproof glass in Detroit 48204
According to 2013 census figures, it is America's most dangerous district
Jovica Trpcevski, known as John, has run this place for four decades
It is open plan and his loyal customers protect him from robberies

By Dailymail.com Reporter

Published: 13:02 EST, 18 October 2015 | Updated: 18:13 EST, 18 October 2015

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Everyone with a business in Detroit's 48204 ZIP code has installed bulletproof glass.

With the highest crime rate in America, shootings, lootings, murders and burglaries are an everyday reality.

One diner, however, is an exception to the rule.

John's Grill doesn't have any of the protective bells and whistles - just some very loyal customers.

Jovica Trpcevski, the only chef at John's Grill in Detroit, refuses to install bulletproof glass despite the dangers

Run by Yugoslavian chef Jovica Trpcevski, 58, the eatery is open-plan.

Unlike every other restaurant in the neighborhood, each with glass panes protecting the chefs, diners can grab Trpcevski's hand and reach over the counter if they wanted to.

In the past few decades, numerous managers, waiters and chefs have been shot dead in their own establishments, but Trpcevski - known as John - has never even faced a threat.

In a lengthy interview with the Detroit Free Press, Trpcevski is nonchalant about his distinguished position.

'I'm one of those stubborn people, I didn't want nobody to say I moved because the neighborhood changed or I was scared to be here or anything like that,' he told the paper.

'I like Detroit in and out, through my heart. It doesn't scare me like it does most people. I'm a Detroit person.'

He adds: 'I've never felt like I needed not to trust people.

Patrons gush about the high-quality food and John's role as an integral member of the crime-ridden area

'When I go in a place that's got bulletproof glass I feel like they're distancing themselves, like you got some kind of a disease and they want to be behind the glass. I know they do it for the crime rate, but that has never bothered me.

'And it never will.'

Apparently, it will never have to, as the streams of customers who flock for his steak and eggs, salmon patties, or even just simple jelly on toast remain incredibly defensive of the establishment.

Speaking to the Free Press, customers gush about his high-quality food, and the integral role he plays in the community.

One man credits John with helping him get an education - the chef kicked him out every time he came in during school hours.

The man took John's advice, went to school, graduated and got a good job.

John's only employee, 45-year-old Meme Smith, said he scolded her for skipping school, then hired her when she was in a state of flux.

The stories are testament to the fact that John's simple and homely diner is a sanctuary.

It's not like he hasn't witnessed the violence - his peers and patrons have been victim to some of the city's most violent crimes.

'Man, I'm telling you if I could put a life-size face on the wall out there of everybody that had been coming in here who I seen get killed over the years that I've been here, there wouldn't be enough room on my wall,' he told the Free Press.

'And a lot of these kids were good kids. A lot of them got killed over nothing.'

Though crime rates show no sign of subsiding, at least there is John's.