Four generations: Family and food are at the heart of this central Illinois restaurant

Cassidy Waigand, Peoria Journal Star

June 14, 2024 at 6:06 PM·5 min read

Old family photographs are featured alongside farm-inspired artwork and other décor at The Farmstead in Roanoke.

The pictures paint a portrait of a family which has served the small central Illinois community for generations. Across the room, a decorative sign reads: "May your journey always lead you home."

The sentimental saying resonated with Tina Kraft. Born and raised in Roanoke, she remembers regularly visiting her grandparents' restaurant as a young child. After high school, Kraft said she went on to operate a pizza business for a few years.

Life eventually led Kraft away from Roanoke and later the restaurant industry. Until, that is, her desire to open a new restaurant led her home.

“I had great memories growing up here and when you go to different towns and as you get older, I feel like you always want to come back,” Kraft said.

She and husband Kyle Kraft opened The Farmstead on June 14, 2023. During its first year, four generations of the family ? including Kraft’s father, Myron Monge ? have stepped in to support the business.

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Reviving a longtime family recipe

Tina Kraft, left, her husband Kyle, and her father Myron Monge opened The Farmstead restaurant a year ago in Roanoke.

Kraft said the restaurant revives longtime family recipes that were once a staple in Roanoke.

Myron Monge’s parents founded Monge’s Club 116 in 1950 and operated the business for roughly 25 years. The restaurant was situated less than a mile up the road from where The Farmstead is now located.

As their son, Monge helped operate the family business.

Monge’s Club 116 featured a popular homemade spaghetti sauce, which was typically prepared by Monge’s aunt. He recalled asking her for the recipe so he could make the sauce while she was away – only to learn she never wrote it down. Yet, Monge said the sauce was the same each time she made it.

“So, I set a big kettle up there. I said, ‘Pretend like the meat and stuff is in there,’” Monge said. “I said, ‘Start putting your ingredients in there.”

With each ingredient, Monge said he poured the contents out to measure exactly how much to add.

“That’s how I got the recipe,” he said.

Monge stepped away from the restaurant industry after his family sold Monge’s Club 116. When The Farmstead opened last year, he said he did not want to “punch the clock.”

An entree of homemade tortellini at The Farmstead in Roanoke.

But he offered to make the spaghetti sauce.

“I said, ‘Pops, you don’t have to make that,’” Kraft said. “He goes, ‘I want to make it till as long as I can make it.’ So, he enjoys doing that, and, you know, it's the same – same recipe every single time.”

Customers at The Farmstead can order spaghetti, tortellini and combination pasta dishes with the longtime spaghetti sauce.

The menu also features a popular cheese spread and other recipes from Monge’s Club 116. Since opening, Kraft said the restaurant has received an amazing response from the community.

“Everybody in my era remembers going there as a child,” Kraft said. “And so, then they come in here, they're like, ‘Oh my gosh, all the memories and you know, the food's the same and it tastes so good.’ And so, it's pretty neat.”

While the restaurant revives community memories and old family recipes, Kraft said new generations of the family have also had a hand in supporting the business. She said her son, daughter, children-in-law and grandson all help out when she needs.

“So, we're looking at four generations,” she said. “We're looking at my dad, me, my kids, my grandkids.”

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Navigating the first year in business

Kitchen manager Nathan Sheets puts together a meal at The Farmstead restaurant in Roanoke.

Of course, the first year in business has not been without its challenges.

Kraft said the economy has posed the biggest hurdle. Keeping up with rising costs while trying to keep menu prices low is a balancing act, but Kraft said she does her best to “find a happy medium.”

Some nights are less busy than hoped for, but Kraft said the restaurant is doing alright overall. She feels fortunate for the support and turnout The Farmstead has received from the community.

“I didn't get this – start this – to be a bazillionaire,” Kraft said. “I knew I wasn't going to make a ton of money off of this. It's just, I enjoy doing it.”

Building a strong staff also took some time, Kraft said. Now, though, she said The Farmstead has “really good help and dependable help” – from the kitchen staff to the waitstaff.

Kraft said kitchen manager Nathaniel Sheets has worked at The Farmstead since day one. Though he was initially interested in working as a waiter, Kraft said she noticed his attention to detail and realized his potential in the kitchen.

Now, Kraft said Sheets works full time, prepping food and working during the weekdays.

“I don't know what I’d do without him,” she said. “Honestly, he's my savior.”

Aside from helping in the kitchen, Kraft said Sheets makes work “fun for everybody.” She said everyone on staff has fun and works well together.

“Even though we aren't all family, it really does feel like a big family,” Sheets said.

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It’s a ‘reunion every night’

Whimsical country-themed decor fills the walls of The Farmstead restaurant in Roanoke.

This close-knit, small-town sentiment carries over to The Farmstead’s customers, as well.

After opening, Kraft said patrons would tell her stories about working at Monge’s Club 116. Another guest, she said, shares memories of his family’s restaurant – which once operated in the space.

Monge visits with friends and his brother, and from day to day, Kraft sees family, former neighbors and old friends at The Farmstead.

“I enjoy being back in this hometown and seeing everybody,” Kraft said, “and my husband says it's either a class reunion or a family reunion every night.”

Shortly after, a group stopped by the exit as one of the women said hello to Monge and Kraft. She recalled the last time she had seen Monge – years ago – and Kraft noted that the woman was once a neighbor.

“So, that's what we get,” Kraft said as the patrons left, “and it's awesome.”

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