The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
After more than three-quarters of a century of serving travelers and generations of families, the Kraus family has announced that the iconic Hotel Nauvoo and its beloved buffet restaurant will not reopen in 2026.
Owner/manager Debbie Kraus Allen, who has spent decades at the heart of the operation, shared the bittersweet news in an emotional Facebook post that has touched thousands who consider the historic dining room part of their own family traditions.
The story of Hotel Nauvoo is the story of one family’s stubborn love for a crumbling building and the small river town that embraced it.
In 1947, Elmer and Adeline Kraus purchased the abandoned Reimbold Oriental Hotel, a once-grand 1880s structure that had stood empty and decaying in the heart of Nauvoo.
With vision and hard work, they breathed new life into the property, reopening it as Hotel Nauvoo and serving hearty, family-style meals to visitors drawn to the historic Latter-day Saint community.
Through the 1950s and 60s, the business grew. In 1960 and again in 1965, the Krauses added rooms, eventually bringing capacity to more than 100 guests. The restaurant, however, began to feel the strain of changing times.
Debbie Kraus Allen remembers the turning point clearly. Her dad wanted to start a buffet, but her mom didn’t like buffets. After Adeline passed away in 1981, Elmer made good on his long-held dream.
Inspired by the lavish spreads he had seen in Las Vegas, he transformed the dining room into what would become one of western Illinois’ most celebrated all-you-can-eat experiences.
The gamble paid off spectacularly. On weekend nights, the buffet regularly served 500 guests, made possible by a dedicated staff that felt more like extended family than employees.
For decades, the aroma of fried chicken, carved roast beef, homemade pies, and fresh rolls drifted across Nauvoo, drawing bus tours, wedding parties, and locals celebrating birthdays and anniversaries.
Then came COVID-19. At the height of the pandemic, as many as eight staff members would call in sick on a single night even as 400 reservations waited.
With reliable help suddenly scarce, the family made the painful decision to scale back dramatically, opening only Friday and Saturday evenings from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.
This fall, after closing as usual for the winter season, Debbie and the family listened to what they gently call “Mother Nature and Father Time.”
The message was clear: it was time to lay down the serving spoons.
In a heartfelt Facebook post, the Kraus family wrote:
“Over the past 77+ years, each and every one of you have become friends and ‘family’… Saying ‘thank you from the bottom of our hearts’ seems insufficient, but it is nonetheless very sincere… we are not planning to reopen next year. As with everything in life, we don’t know exactly what the future will hold, but we trust that the Almighty will guide all of us along the way.”
The family has placed the Hotel Nauvoo, and the separate Motel Nauvoo (located a few blocks east) up for sale. Interested buyers are invited to text 904-568-5656 for more information.
For now, the dining room chairs are pushed in, the kitchen is quiet, and the neon “Open” sign that welcomed so many through the doors no longer glows on Mulholland Street.
Yet the legacy of Elmer and Adeline Kraus, and Debbie Kraus Allen who carried their vision forward, remains etched in the memories of countless guests who enjoyed a meal in the historic structure.
In Nauvoo, the end of one family’s era feels like the end of an era for the entire town. But if the past 77 years have proved anything, it’s that sometimes the right hands come along at the right time to write the next chapter of a beloved old building.
For now, the Kraus family simply says thank you, and prepares to rest.