Now 28 more seats
The next time the hunger for crab Rangoon or egg rolls hits, head over to Haylumoon for appetizers and a meal.
Chillicothe’s only Chinese restaurant, located at 142 N. Fourth St., offers a full menu of Chinese cuisine and now boasts 28 more seats.
John (Joi) Quon and his wife, Heather (Hung) cook up and serve meals seven days a week.
“People come in we know,” said Quon. “They have fun, making jokes. They come here to say hello.”
The Quons own the building housing their restaurant, and after other eateries opened and closed in the front of the building, the Quons decided they would enlarge their seating capacity.
First to try business was ice cream parlor TCBY, Garner’s followed, then General’s Fish & Chicken. None worked out.
The Quons redid the empty area, tearing down a partition, putting new paneling on the walls and adding tile flooring.
“We redid just about everything,” said Quon.
Haylumoon still offers a wide selection of foods on its buffet, but Quon noted most of the business is carryout.
Along with Quon and his wife, their daughter, Kelly, and two nephews help run the business.
Since Kelly is heading off to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to become a pharmacist, they may soon add more help.
Son Kevin also worked in the family business before he went to college.
Getting started
Hailing from Guangdong province in southern China, Quon traveled to the United States in 1966 by himself at age 17.
He worked at Caterpillar Inc. and finished his third year of college in Louisville, Ky.
When layoffs hit, Quon decided the time was right to go into the restaurant business with a partner.
By the 1980s, his life took on two new changes — marriage and his own business.
Also born in Guangdong province, Heather had come to the U.S. in early March 1982.
“We were born close to each other, about 100 miles apart,” said Quon.
She landed in Portland, Ore., where she lived with her grandmother, who knew Quon’s sister in Portland.
“She called my other sister in Peoria and said I needed to meet this girl,” said Quon. “We drove there, and I liked her.”
They married in New York City in June 1982.
Just three years later, Quon opened his first Haylumoon on Pioneer Parkway in Peoria.
Still, he said many of his customers were not from Peoria.
“We were in Peoria, but we had a lot of customers from the Chillicothe area,” he said.
So, the Quon family moved to Chillicothe at the end of 1990 and opened Haylumoon in Plaza Park.
After years of operating at that location, Quon realized the building was too big and decided to downsize a little bit.
He bought his current building in 2006 and moved the restaurant there.
The Quons are open for business from 4-9 p.m. Monday; from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and from 4-9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4-9:30 p.m. Friday; from 4-9:30 p.m. Saturday; and from noon-2 p.m. and 4-9 p.m. Sunday.
Orders may be placed ahead or for carryout by calling 274-3560.
“It was a little tight, so we decided to enlarge it and give everybody more room to move around and sit more comfortably,” said Quon. “It’s worth it,” he added with his signature smile.
Chillicothe, Ill. —
