The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
By Dessa Rodeffer, Quill Publisher
La Harpe is about to have a new restaurant in town again. Owner Mika Ajrulai hopes to open in the second week of April if all goes as planned.
"All the work is a bit overwhelming," he said as he is cleaning and trying to plan and make ready his restaurant for customers.
Mika purchased the restaurant in June of 2021, formerly The Rival II on Main Street west of the City Park, from Kim (Root) Doornbos-Smith.
Health problems interrupted Mika’s plans when he was forced to undergo surgery, but now he is back on the mend and on pace to open his own restaurant, a dream he's had.
Years ago, the restaurant was called, The Travelers Inn and thus Mika decided to use part of that name and call it Travelers Diner. The name he feels will give it a good vibe around the community.
Mika asks for our patience as he transitions from living in Camp Point where he managed the Bailey House Restaurant since 2017, to moving and living in La Harpe, or “L A”, he jokingly tells his friends who haven’t heard of La Harpe.
The Love La Harpe crew and La Harpe City Council members, along with others around La Harpe are doing their best to welcome Mika and his endeavor to serve La Harpe community with a much needed restaurant.
Mika lived in the state capitol of Springfield, IL for 15 years before moving to Camp Point in 2017, but he came to America from the north of Greece in 2001. He said he was young and very homesick at first.
He says he is called a foreigner here, but after being here many years he is called a foreigner when he returns home to visit.
“Everywhere I go, I am called a foreigner,” he said. But now, with his dream of a restaurant opening, he hopes to succeed in serving many people at his restaurant, and that a home in La Harpe will truly feel like home.
“You can only try your best,” he said, “and hope and pray it will.”
At present, Mika hopes to open on Monday, April 11th at 10:30 a.m.. The La Harpe community is anxious to have the Travelers Diner open for business where they can once again enjoy noon and evening meals.
Mika Ajrulai is fulfilling a dream by opening his own restaurant. He plans to open on April 11th.