The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Debbie Kraus Allen, Owner/Manager of Hotel Nauvoo and Restaurant was busy last week taking reservations for lodging and for dining at their famous evening buffet and salad bar that was opened for the second week. The phone was ringing non-stop and she already had 356 reservations for that Friday evening and 500 already booked for this upcoming Good Friday and for Saturday (Easter weekend), and fifty more will typically drop in each night to add to these numbers.
Debbie moved back with her family to help her parents who had purchased the 1880 Reimbold Oriental Hotel which shut down and had laid idle and had fallen into ruins.
Her parents Elmer and Adeline Kraus, purchased it in 1947 and restored it and ran the hotel and served family-style meals. In 1960 and in 1965 they added two more rooms to serve an additional 100. The restaurant was dwindling and her father wanted to start a buffet Debbie said, but her mom didn't like buffets. After her mother died in 1981, her dad decided it was time to start a world class buffet similar to the ones he had seen in Las Vegas. The buffet was a hit and Deb said they were averaging 500 a night on weekends with excellent help available to make it happen.
Covid slowed things with as many as 8 calling in sick on a given night where 400 were booked. With help failing to show up, a determination was made to open only on Friday and Saturday evenings 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.
A lady comes and does all the baking, another lady makes the salads from scratch, a man does the cooking with the help of high school and college students. Others come to help, serve, three from the La Harpe area who she says are doing a great job.
Be sure to make your reservations with Debbie for a their "world famous" buffet by calling Hotel Nauvoo 309-453-2211.